


The Photographer

by Jinminisreal



Category: ASTRO (Band), EXO (Band), GOT7, Multi-Fandom, TXT (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Murder, Boys Kissing, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Fanboys - Freeform, Friends to Lovers, Kim Seokjin | Jin is So Done, Kim Seokjin | Jin-centric, Kim Taehyung | V Is Whipped, Kim Taehyung | V Is a Little Shit, Kim Taehyung | V Is a Sweetheart, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Minor Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Seokjin | Jin, Model Kim Seokjin | Jin, Modeling, Murder, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Obsessive Behavior, Photographer Kim Taehyung | V, Plot Twists, Psychopaths In Love, Sasaeng Fan(s), Taejin Week, Thriller
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-01-04 18:48:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 58,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18349586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinminisreal/pseuds/Jinminisreal
Summary: Kim Seokjin is a rising model from South Korea. His last photographer suddenly disappeared and is now searching for a new one. What he didn't expect was for a handsome (but dark) photographer to appear and smile at him, causing havoc on his heart while his dark and turbulent past awoke to finish what it couldn't accomplish.





	1. 없어지다 (Vanish)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My little psycho au
> 
>  
> 
> I originally published it on wattpad under xjinminisrealx, so I'm rereading and publishing it here too!
> 
> https://my.w.tt/bwUyyoxGCV

Kim Seokjin was desperate. It's been a week since his photographer, Jackson Wang disappeared from this earth. Evaporated. Vanished. He went missing and nobody knew what happened to him. 

Jackson was a famous photographer and pretty creative too. All models wanted to be photographed by him but he settled with Seokjin. The reason? Nobody knew but he always said "Seokjin's innocent beauty has the power to captivate even the darker hearts" and refused to work for any other models. 

 

Seven days before:

The day of his disappearance, Seokjin was waiting in their photo studio, eating chapagetti and looking at his social media. Reading comments and replying some of them. He ate, he cleaned and kept watching videos and photograph from fansites. 

There was one, called stigma who always took amazing photos of him. 

He always managed to capture a perfect expression, perfect movement and breathtaking smile. Also, he always appeared at the most unexpected places. Hi didn't mind because he never had a sasaeng. He tought that those kinds of people only followed idols. Not models and 'part-time' actors too. Also, someone with so much talent and dedication couldn't be bad. Surely. Hopefully. 

At first, he didn't notice the hands of the clock moving, how minutes became hours. He washed the plates, cleaned the utensils and the room, changed clothes and looked at the mirror countless times. He waited, and waited until the studio became darker, colder and emptier. 

Then, two hours late. Decided to reread the kakaotalk that Jackson sent a few hours ago, it said:

Puppywithacamera: 

"I'm leaving, see you in 30'"  
sent at 16:24

 

It was almost seven and Jackson hadn't appeared. The make-up artists asked, and asked, and asked but Jin didn't have an answer. He kept calling, kept sending kakao and even SMS but they were not opened nor read. 

Seokjin didnt want to leave, in case Jackson had problems with his phone battery. He kept thinking about possible scenarios; an accident, a traffic jam or maybe, had to help to get a pregnant woman to a Hospital. Jackson was a nice guy, he was totally capable of doing a selfless act like that. That's why, he had to have a reason to not coming at one of their most important photoshoot. 

So Seokjin dismissed the stylist, dismissed the make-up artist and wardrobe staff. Called his company and asked Jackson's roommate about his whereabouts, they said that he left more that two hours ago. He asked the camera assistants but they also couldn't contact their missing photographer. 

Eventually, Jin fell sleep on the couch, cocooned in a blanked well placed on top of him by some of staff (he thought). It was terrific and he didnt even imagine that the next day, they would contact the police about the dissiparence of his beloved photographer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile

 

"Who are you?" Asked a mangled blonde to the darkness of a red room.

Some shadow smirked. His white teeth shinning red because of the red lightning in the dark room.

"A guy with a plan" said a deep voice. 

______________________________________


	2. 어디에 있어? (where are you?)

Jin woke up because of the sound of a slaming door. 

"Jackson" he thought while untangling himself from the pink blanked and running to the door, only to find Namjoon with an apologetic smile. 

He felt a little bit disappointed because it wasnt Jackson but, also happiness because his best friend came to give him support.

"Sorry hyung, the door closed itself because of the wind" said the purple haired man. "you have quite an air flow in this room, maybe someone has left an open window"

Seokjin didn't remember about opening a window, but maybe someone from the staff did. He smiled and hugged his best friend, feeling small and lost because of the dissiparence of his friend and college. 

Namjoon returned the hug, smelling the vanilla perfume that was so like Jin. Namjoon always remembered Jin smelling like vanilla, even as kids. It was an smell that he associated with happiness and warm. 

That's why, when Jin, sweet and nice hyung, sent a kakao about Jackson being late (during an important photoshoot for LG), he left all the lyrics that he was writing for Yoongi, took the first bus to Gangnam and ran to get to him as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he got paralyzed because rush hour and couldn't arrive here until now. It's been almost three hours since he left home.

"Please come Joonie" said Jin, approaching the sofa with Joon trailing beside him. "and sit down while I call Jackson's roommates for information about his whereabouts"

Jackson's family were living in Hong Kong, that's why calling them was unnecessary until they figured out what actually happened with the blonde photographer.

After saying that, he got up from the sofa and dialed Mark's number, waiting for calling the sound to end and for Jackson or his roommate to pick up the phone.

"Yes?"

"Oh, Jinyoung" said Jin, a little bit surprised by hearing a voice of someone who wasn't Mark picking up the phone number he dialed. "Where's Mark? Have I called to wrong number?"

Jinyoung and Mark were Jackson's roommate, but usually they were working and never home. 

"Oh Seokjin-hyung" he seemed surprised. "No, no! Mark is showering in the bathroom, I'm just laying down on his bed and trying to contact Jackson"

Here, the news he wanted to avoid. The kind of news that started to transform a disappearance into something dark and mysterious. 

As for why, Jackson still hadn't said anything nor returned home and never arrived to the studio.

"So, Jacksom still hasn't said anything nor appeared home?" Jin's disappointment was evident in his voice, his heart dropping into the floor and feeling nauseous. 

"Nope "he paused, his tone of voice showing the tension their roommates were living and all the stress they were having while trying to contact Jack. "Mark has been calling him non stop but his phone was turned off or is out of coverage (maybe all the calling caused for his phone to lose all the battery?) because the calls are rebounding and he doesn't receive any messages" Jinyoung explained. "it's been more than eight hours since he left home and sent you that photo... " he's voice cracked a little. "it's been hours since we contacted him for the last time-"

Jin's shoulders fell and he felt like fainting. It was then, when he noticed two arms back huging him to give him support, one hand trying to calm his restless legs, moving non stop since he started the call. Heck, he was having the syndrome of restless legs since the very beginning. Also, felt one chin resting on his shoulder, Namjoon trying to hear the words Jinyoung was saying. 

"Relax hyung" Namjoon's comfort words were said beside his year, his hands trying to calm his elder and were massaging softly his tired wide shoulders. 

Jackson hadn't responded any message nor call in eight hours. This was really suspicious and he really wanted to cry. Felt himself collapsing and was thankful to Namjoon for giving support or he would already be on the floor. 

"Give me the phone" ordered Namjoon, taking control of the situation and accompanying his elder to the couch, where Jin sat and started to sob a little, his hands trembling. Like a reservoir, he felt himself broke. The situation finally got into him. 

"Hey" said Namjoon voice, deep and secure of himself. "my name is Namjoon and i'm hyung childhood friend"

He could not hear what Jinyoung said on the other side of the phone.

"No, hyung has almost collapsed and I sat him on the couch" namjoon eyed him and returned to watch the wall, where he saw a window ajar and walked to close it. "no, no... I think that I did read somewhere that you don't need 24h to contact the police, that it was a myth created by police tv series to increase suspense situations in their series-"

He paused, took air and looked at Jin, who was trying to ate his nails. This was bad so he approached him and took his arm, holding both hands into his bigger ones, stopping him to hurt himself even more. 

"Yes" Namjoon said. "so I think, the best way to act would be by going to the police station and report his disappearance"

Jin felt himself sobbing a little harder, the grave situation became more real when his friend mentioned to involve the police. 

"Oh" said Namjoon surprised. "Hey Mark, nice to meet you, my name is Namjoon" he introduces himself. " yes, as I told to your friend, it's better if we go to the police right now so the authorities can take over the reins" he looked at Jin again, leaving his hands free and patting his soft but, disheveled hair. "yes, for now its better to avoid the media because we are all public figures, we don't need this kind of publicity"

Namjoon took air, biting the dry skin on his lips.

"Yes, I agree that we need the media to spread his disappearance but it can also create an scandal and if Jackson returns home from whatever he is doing and..." he stopped to listen to the other part of the line. "yes, maybe it's better to leave this decision to the police"

He listened some more.

"I have to change hyung's clothes to some casual wear because he is still wearing his photoshop outfit" listened some more. "no, first we have to met somewhere" he looked to the ceiling, thinking. "where do we have the closest police station?" he listened and hummed. "Oh, so you live next to hyung's studio, then I think that we can meet at Seoul Gangnam Police Station in daechi-dong"

Seokjin's hands searched for Namjoon's, who stopped to pet his hair. Again, he tangled their fingers together feeling that he needed his best friend calm behavior. 

The police. He never had to go to the police, his life was always calm, without dark situations nor inconvenient occurrences. Always the same routine, always the same people. Until one of the constant people in his life disappeared.

Namjoon cancelled the phone call and looked at Jin. His face was swollen and his eyes red from crying. He was far from his handsome model persona and it broke his heart.

"Okay, let's get you changed into casual clothes and head to the police station" started Namjoon, giving him a hand to help lift him.

Seokjin just nodded. Too tired because all the crying and stress. Also, he hadn't slept for almost 24 hours, the two hours he had sleep before Namjoon's arrival were the only ones today. 

"Do you have casual clothes here hyung?" asked Namjoon looking at the expensive clothes hanging from the multiple wardrobes.

What was he expecting? He was in a fashion studio of one of the most sought-after model in the country for modeling for foreign brands. There was a wardrobe with a 'Givenchy new colection' sign, another one with Saint Laurent and near the wall, almost hidden, Gucci's new collection. 

But Jin nodded, heading to his private wardrobe and opening it. Inside hanged two pieces of clothes: an oversized sweater and striped tracksuit. Namjoon raised one eyebrow, he never having seen Jin wear this kind of clothes.

He just shrug.

"It's for when I dont have time to head to my apartment and I decide to sleep in the couch."

Namjoon hated when he did that. This studio didn't have much security, since it was built at ground level and the only protection was a guard at the front entrance door, some security cameras in the hallways and tinted windows. He decided not to express his discomfort and just nodded. 

"I will sit on the couch while you change" saying that, his best friend just turned around.

Seokjin looked at the hoody and tracksuit: it was a present from Jackson, because he used to sleep with the clothes used for photoshoots and always said: 'you can't sleep wearing 6.000.000 won clothes hyung, you will be cursed-". 

Maybe, he got cursed for real.

 

 

 

 

 

Not far from there: 

A tall and slender boy was leaning into a grey brick wall, looking at his camera. He was wearing an all black outfit that consisted in a black oversized hoody that hides his face and very wide and baggy pants.

He smiled, his eyes, although hidden, held warm.


	3. 3 경찰서 (police station)

Chapter 3: 

They left the studio with a totally different Seokjin. People were used to see a handsome and stylish model on the streets, but, the one that was walking beside Namjoon felt angsty, sad and tired, and those feelings were showing in his face, although covered by a dark sanitary mask.

He wore an oversized grey hoody and comfy and black tracksuit pants. Although pretty casual and baggy, the clothes he wore accentuated the model's toned body and most of the girls (and mans) who walked beside them on the sideways couldn't help but to stare at him.

"Fucking models and their aura" Namjoon thought, his thought getting darker due the stress and the stares.

Seokin was oblivious and trying to not to cry again. His thoughts were far away from here, flying miles and miles away, just wandering.

They were getting closer to the police station, a grey and enormous building, it has seven or so floors with crystal tinted windows. There were some police cars parked in front of the entrance, two polices inside, waiting to leave and patrol the streets. Aldo, it has a little garden with grass and thin trees planted. The letters Seoul Gangnam Police station were written in a plain white wall without windows.

The model and his bestfriend walked to the little garden and sat in a wood bench, waiting for the other two to arrive.

"You have to prepare yourself hyung" started Namjoon. "they will ask you a lot of questions and you must reply to them with care."

"Why?" said Seokjin, honestly confused.

"Because you can become a suspect too" warned the purple haired man.

He? A suspect? Today was becoming more and more strange.

"So you must be confident, don't talk too much and stick to what they are asking" advised Namjoon, always the one who knew about everything.

Seokjin chuckled, the situation was becoming more and more real and his nerves started to take a toll on his tired brain.

"You speak as if you knew a lot about this kind of situations and I know for sure, as your best friend, that you have never been arrested."

Namjoon laughed.

"Yes, but I watched a lot of CSI to learn English when I was younger. I kind of became a pro at mystery and criminal related things."

Seokjin windshield laugh exploded. He remembered that time when Namjoon, as a music and production student back in university, used to watch any kind of foreign dramas to learn English. He became so fluent in English that most of the time, when Seokjin had to leave South Korea to foreign Fashion Week's, he used to send him audios and a lot of photos to translate. With time, Seokjin got better at English, but he still sucked with his pronunciation.

It was then, in the midst of laughing, when Mark and Jinyoung arrived. They were dragging their bikes and looking funny at him.

"Nice to see you happy after Jackson disappearance" bites Mark, narrowing his eyes.

Namjoon instantly jumped to defend him.

"He was laughing at some joke I threw to distract him, Mark" remarked the purple haired man.

Jinyoung decides to stand between both males, wanting to make peace and to stop the situation from turning worse. They were all tired and preoccupied. Tired and stressed human beings tended to get angry and blame others to blow off steam.

"Hey! The situation is not going to solve by arguing between us. Obviously Jin-hyung is affected, you can see it in his face, I've never seen our hyung this ugly."

Seokjin just laughed, he didn't want to counteract the taunt. He felt ugly and death, so Jinyoung waa right. This was the ugliest he had ever been.

"I've had better days" murmured with a small voice. "I presume."

Jinyoung left the bike on the ground and walked quickly to hug the boy, who looked lost and small for someone as tall as the model.

"Hey" said the raven haired male, hugging the model tighty. "Jackson will appear, maybe he forgot something somewhere or is at some girls home fornicating, who knows."

Seokjin smiled and hugged the male back.

Namjoon was sure that maybe, the photographer was at some random girl's home, he used to do that a lot, back when he was not Jin's. But he changed and that was what made this situation a little bit dark and scary; he stopped doing that. Namjoon was so sure that the male used to love Jin, not as his employer, but as something more.

Some people says that a photographer can capture people's soul in their photos and only the ones who can connect and feel for their muses: can take the most beautiful photos. Jackson had to love Jin a lot... as he was the one that always took the best photos of him. Maybe, just maybe, if Namjoon had a camera, he would take amazing photos too.

"Okay, let's head inside but remember: don't speak without thinking, stick to the questions and be sure of yourself, understood?" said Namjoon, as always taking the role of a leader. Seokjin was sure that if Namjoon hadn't decided to become a rap star and producer, he may have become the president of their precious country.

Jinyoung untangled himself from the model's arms and walked back to Mark. Mark took their bikes and chained them in a bike parking lot.

Together, they walked to the front doors, that were being ward with two policemen who seemed scary and as wide as the Pacific sea.

"Please sir" said the one in the left, stopping them before they could walk to the metal detector situated in front of the entrance door. "can you please remove your mask?"

Seokjin internally cursed. He totally forgot about the mask. Taking off the strips of the sanitary mask from his ears, he put it in the center pocket of his sweatshirt. He smiled at the security guard.

Said man flushed a little, not accustomed to see a man as handsome as Seokjin. (Even when he was having a really bad day, that must mean something)

Both giants took their wallets, phones and keys and put them inside trays. Then, they had to pass a metal detector. Seokjin was glad that he decided to wear just sweatpants and a hoody, jeans always gave problems while passing these kinds of machines. Sometimes, airport security liked to have their fun, sometimes searching and groping his clothes to find anything dangerous, often thinking that he was carrying metal on his chest or in his boxers. Some security are perverts.

When all of the boys passed the metal detector and had their things back, they had to walk to a reception where there was a woman typing on a computer.

"How may I help you?" said in a monotone voice, without looking away from the computer.

Mark cleared his throat by coughing to get her attention. Finally, she looked away and became surprised. There, in front of her reception were a lot of famous people.

First, she saw RM, a famous rapper and producer. Then her eyes traveled to Jinyoung, a famous dancer from a recently debuted idol group. Next to him, Mark, also a rapper from said group. And finally, her eyes fell to a smiling Seokjin. And she almost fainted.

Suddenly, she forgot all protocol, training and rules. Until she saw their worried faces and managed to focus. Clearing her voice, she repeated.

"How may I help you?"

Namjoon smiled back, feeling sorry for the girl.

"We are here to denounce a disappearance."

The girl paled a little.

"Oh, please write your information on this form" she gave them four forms. " then, I will contact my superior and you will be able to file a report."

They wrote their information and passed it to her. She then, did a photocopy and left to an office. They stood there, uncomfortable, for someone to appear.

Minutes later, another man in his early twenties came to greet them. He introduced himself as Park Chanyeol and accompanied them to some kind of waiting area and started to call them one by one. Seokjin was holding into Namjoon's arm. The police said that he didn't have to enter, as Namjoon just came to give Seokjin support.

When Jinyoung and Mark left the interrogation room, the handsome policeman called Seokjin to come inside. Said model was trembling like a leaf.

It was time. 

 

 

 

Far from there:

 

A boy was playing with the mouse of his computer, a camera connected into it and editing some photos.

His favourite human being was in front of a police station, accompanied by someone annoying.

Kim Seokjin was being a bad boy. But soon, he is going to mend that.

As for now, he was happy just by contemplating one of his best photos. Maybe, he would upload it in his fansite. Just to punish the model. He deserves it for going to the police station.

As for know, let's reduce the brightness and apply some shadows   
As for know, let's reduce the brightness and apply some shadows.

He never did understand people who whitewashed his model, he was always perfect. Even as defeated as he looked in that photo. He was happy to affect him, because that disheveled face was his fault. His initial unhappiness was, after all, part of the plan.

It was a good thing to be noticed.


	4. 4 경찰 수사 (police investigation)

The room was square and grey. It had a mirror wall and a table with two uncomfortable chairs.

The raven haired model knows that behind that shinny wall, where he could see himself, there are policeman watching his every move.

Beside the mirror wall, there is a young man with curly dark hair who sat in a chair, wearing a dark blue police uniform, he smiled when his eyes met with Seokjin's. He resembles a bunny. He is cute.

\- Okay, I'm going to introduce myself again. - said the one who called him inside, he was wearing a dark suit with black glasses and long grey hair - My name is Park Chanyeol and the man sitting in that chair over there as a witness is Agent Jeon Jungkook.

Jungkook smiled, how could a cute young man who resembled a bunny... endure all the bad from this world?

\- He is a rookie cop and will help me in this case. - He pauses and looks over his glasses - I will now ask you some questions. I would like for you to reply them as clear as you can.

Seokjin nodded. He wanted to get it all done as soon as possible. The walls were starting to close in on him. The model had a slight problem with claustrophobia.

He signals a camera that is recording, as the light is red and blinking.

\- This interrogation is going to be recorded and everything that you say can help our investigation, so thank you in advance Mr Kim. I want youself to introduce again so: What's your name, age and relation with Jackson Wang?

The model cleared his throat and looked at the policeman to his eyes.

\- My name is Kim Seokjin, 24 years old and he is my friend and photographer.

The policeman scribbled something in a report.

\- What's your profession?

\- I'm a model, sir - answered the raven haired.

He scribbled some more, 'how humble' he tought. The policeman hand writing is messy and small.

\- When was the last time you contacted with said missing person?

The model took his phone out and searched for the picture that Jackson sent him.

\- It was at 16:24 when he sent me this text and photo.

\- It was at 16:24 when he sent me this text and photo  
The police looked mad with this kind of comportment.

\- It's forbidden to use your phone in this room, Seokjin-sshi - said the agent but looking at the image, absorbing all its contents.

\- Oh - said the model, surprised - I didn't know.

The police chucked.

\- It's pretty obvious - he returned the phone to its oblivious owner - we have the means to search your phone anytime.

Seokjim flushed.

\- Oh, sorry.

The police scribbled some more and looked at the raven haired man from above the glasses, which rest lower on the bridge of his nose.

\- Let's resume the interrogation - he paused and looked at Jungkook, who looked excited. Maybe this was his first case - can you please describe Wang-sshi physically?

Seokjin tried to remember the facts that he knew about his photographer.

\- His height is approximately 1'74, his hair is now dyed white blonde, he has dark eyes, handsome and unique face, slender and built, blood type O, his family lives in Hong Kong and he was born in 24 March, 1994. He has his earlobes pierced and the day of his disappearance, if he haven't changed his clothes, he is wearing the same clothes as you saw in the photo, a grey hoody.

The handsome policeman scribbled some more.

\- Can you talk about his habits and personality?

Seokjin had to pause again to think about it.

\- He is serious but playful, used to be a player. He is really creative and always takes his camera everywhere. I don't really know about the places he uses to go, but he uses to always bring me americano coffee from twesomeplace. He practices fencing and a hobby and to compete. He is smart, Jackson can speak fluently in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean. He also speaks Japanese and a little of French and a bit of Thai. He likes to wear black. -Seokjin took some air- He is outgoing and has a lot of friends.

\- What activities did he has planned that day? - asked again.

This was when whatever he replied could lead to being a suspect or not. It was pretty scary

\- I was waiting him inside the studio, we had an important photoshoot for LG - started said model - I slept there that night -as most nights- and remained there all day with the staff, we all were waiting for him. When I received the message, my make-up artist was retouching me. He used to come by walk because his apartment is near the studio.

\- Do you know anyone who would want to hurt him?

The model inclines his head, wandering. He remembered Jackson mentioning about feeling observed when he was walking around the streets.

\- Lately, he used to feel stalked on the streets - said Jin in a small voice - it happened before, as we are public figures and he was pretty famous photographer, so we thought that whoever was following him would get tired of it.

Chanyeol hummed something unintelligible while writing some more.

He asked some more questions about it which Seokjin asked the best as he could. After that, the police man stood up and gave his hand to the model, who remained seated without knowing what to do.

Park Chanyeol laughed a little and motioned for him to get up. The model did as he instructed and returned the handshake.

\- In the next few days, you might see a lot of police movement near your workplace and apartment. He will also provide security, as whatever happened to Mr Wang could also happen to you, taking into account your background.

This shocked the model. In his adult life, he never had a sasaeng and never had to look over his shoulder or feel afraid. He forgot how to be afraid.

\- This can also happen to me? - asked sounding a little bit scared. He hoped for the noise to not start. He didnt want an episode here.

The policeman nodded as Jungkook approaches them. He smiled again and offered his hand to shake.

\- My name is Jeon Jungkook and will take part on this case as security and investigation - said with a confident voice, although young, he sure looked sure of himself.

The model shakes his hand and smiles back.

\- I'm counting on you all.

Then, Park Chanyeol motions to the door with his arm, asking to follow him outside. He opened the door for the model and bides him goodbye.

Namjoon was waiting in the waiting room, eating his nails. When he heard the door opening, stood up and ran to his friend. Hugging him and putting his chin on his wide shoulders.

\- Hey - said in a quit voice - how did it go?

Seokjin nodded, returning the hug.

\- He just asked me some questions about Jackson and if I could thing about anybody who would want hurt him... also said that they are going to send me some security and to be aware of a lot of police movement around my usual places.

Jinyoung and Mark also joined us on the hallway.

\- They asked us the same as you, but focused on his life inside our shared appartment - said Mark, stretching his arms.

Jinyoung nodded and they decided to head home. They bid goodbye outside the building, both roommates leaving by bike and promising to contact if they knew something about Jackson or saw something strange.

Both Kims were walking side by side the dimly lighted streets, quiet and thinking about today's events.

\- Hey - said Namjoonie - do you want me to come to your place? It's better to not be alone and your's is nearer than mine.

Seokjin nodded, he didnt want to be alone tonight. His best friend always managed to makes him feel safe. Something about the way he moved and acted, sure about himself and always putting other above himself.

The night was starting to get colder, mid autumn air was starting to become chilly.

It was about 15 minutes walk to his luxury condominium, although it only having two rooms because he hated big houses just for one person. He always felt alone when sleeping alone in a big house or suite.

The condominium was tall and regal, one of the most expensive of gangnam. It was made of steel and crystal, and had 33 floors. Seokjin's was the 33th, so he had one of the best views of the skyline.

As they reached the entrance door, the doorman opened the door and welcomed him. Then, the security asked about his day, so he replied:

\- Today was like that thriller k-movie which Netflix offered me to act as a secondary actor but I refused.

The model smiled as Namjoon laughed a little bit and they called for the elevator. He just wanted to arrive home and to sleep, maybe, if Namjoon wanted, to cuddle with his best friend.

He wandered about Jackson and prayed for his wellbeing. Hoping that tomorrow would be better and maybe, clearer.

They entered the little square and mirrored elevator and selected the floor 33th.

The doors closed.

Seokjin watches into the mirror, cringing at his ugly face.

Today surely has been a long day.

He couldn't wait to sleep and to don't woke up for a long time.

 

 

 

 

Unbeknownst to him, his phone was blinking with a notification.

The message he received wouldn't be seen until much later, but it said:

 

》Puppywithacamera:

Don't look for me.

Received: 21:53


	5. 5 기억 (Memory)

**Chapter 5**

 

People say that once you fall into a well and arrive to the end of it, you can only go up and eventually get better. Seokjin day was not getting any better, he felt as if he kept falling and falling and falling into the nothingness.

The world seemed to pale once Seokjin put his phone to charge and saw the blinking blue light; noticing that a message has been received. Namjoon must have seen it, as he heard the phone fall and the screen to crack into thousand pieces. Almost like a mirror breaking, almost as broken as the models heart.

Namjoon took the phone from the floor and cursed once he saw the broken screen. In front of him, in a pale pink wallpaper, there was a message sent by " _puppywithacamera_ " or Jackson, telling them to not look for him.

"What the hell?" said the purple haired male aloud, wandering about why did they suddenly receive that text.

Seokjin was trembling so Namjoon helped him onto the couch. He sat beside him and hugged him, trying to give him some body heat.

He looked at the phone again, trying to think about what does it mean. So he tried to type even with the broken screen. He was lucky because the screen sensibility was still working, not bothered by the cracks.

 

 **Seokjinnie** 🌌

_Where are you?_

_Are you okay?_

_We are searching for you!!!_

**Sent but not read: 22:16**

 

He waited for it to be sent but never arrived to its destination. He glanced at Seokjin, who started to eat his nails again, still trembling. Namjoon took his hands to stop him, caressing his knuckles with his rough hands.

They were about to cuddle in the couch and watch some TV when the model decided to charge his phone and saw the fucking text. What did they do to deserve a day as fucking long and horrible?

" _Fuck_ " thought while looking at Seokjin who was a mess.

They were getting more and more destroyed as the day arrived to an end.

"Do we have to call the police?" said the model, thinking about all the possibilities and weighing whether to go to sleep or call the cops. He had a the beginning of a migraine. His head hurting like hell.

"We have to call the cops or they might ask about why haven't we called sooner... maybe they can track down the localization where the text was sent..." replied Namjoon, putting his long legs on the coffee table. His genius brain starting to think about all the possibilities.

The television was on and some drama was being played. The girl was crying under the rain and the man was leaving in some expensive car. They had a big discussion.Then, the man turned around and had an accident with some unfortunate truck. Whatever, its was called drama for a reason. They always had the same kind of argument where the man dies or loses his memory.

" _I'm so tired of this shit_ " Thought Namjoon, turning off the television.

Also, today, they were living a real life drama. Namjoon eyes lefts the turned off screen of the television which had their reflection and looked at Seokjin's profile, perfect and sculpted as a masterpiece statue. His nose was high and cute, his lips pouty and shimmery, his eyes lost in the noise of his own thoughts.

The producer took his phone and called to Seoul Gangnam Police Station. The model was too tired and out of his mind to do it.

"Hello" said a monotone girl's voice. "Seoul Gangnam Police Station, you are talking to agent Min Serah, how may I help you?"

Namjoon took some air and tried to stay calm and focused:

"Hello, my name is Kim Namjoon and I would like to speak to Park Chanyeol" his voice hadn't lost its confidence at least.

The girl seemed to stop for a while to listen and said:

"I will now transfer the call to  _Missing Persons Unit_ _"_ said the girl, voice still monotone. "have a nice day."

The melody of  _Arirang_  started to sound on the speaker while the call was transfering.

"Hyung" murmured the purple haired producer. "the call is being transferred to Park Chanyeol, when he is on the phone I will pass the telephone to you, okay?"

Jin nodded and kept watching the nothingness, his eyes lost and unfocused.

Kim Seokjin was having migraine and an internal battle with his own demons.

He still has to call his agency but wanted to wait at least some more days. He notified them about Jackson dissiparence but they knew nothing about the police and its investigation. Another reason was because he was afraid that Jackson would be easily replaced by some other, as if his life as a human being was less than the money they could win with his photos.

Surely, knowing his agency, Jackson would be replaced by some unknown person and he would have to get used to another human being, again.

_He was afraid of that unknown person already._

Strange, right?

Jin was a worldwide famous model, his stage persona was charismatic, easy going and funny. But in real life?  
Kim Seokjin didn't have many friends, as people used to use him and go after his money and prestige.

_Human beings can be greedy monsters._

He didn't have any boyfriends nor girlfriends because a trauma from a long time ago.

_A trauma long forgotten but... always hiding behind a door on his brains to destroy his quiet life._

As he said before, Jin didn't have any sasaeng. He said it and thought it. His fans were amazing and supportive. His adult life was fine, enjoyable and with so many bright people. He got used to that, he used to lean closer to absorb the heat of all that light and brightness. He forgot about his painful past thanks to his new bright lifestyle.

After all, that trauma happened more than 10 year's ago. He eventually forgot about it, as his brain didn't remember anything about these days. Seokjin just remember two things: blue and cold.

¤  _Flashback_ : ¤

" _Look at me, look at the camera_ " said the woman dressed in blue, the camera flash blurring her face and body. The woman who captured and destroyed a part of his memory and erased a part of his brain.

" _Please, please, please, please, please_ " repeated his ten year younger self, with a small and defeated voice " _I'm cold, cold, cold, cold, cold_ ".

¤  _End of flashback. ¤_

He felt cold for so long that when the police found him, he was almost dead with hypothermia, his lips as blue as the woman's dress.

The police said to his parents that he was wearing nothing but a red bed sheet. They feared about it being a rape.

His mother cried and cried, as he waited for the cops to find his baby boy, lost in his way to school for almost a week.

They said that it was surprising for him to be alive if they had in mind that during that time, it was early winter in Seoul, also considering that they found him in a small wooden hut near the train track.

They never found his abductor, just hundreds of photos of him, drugged and posing while he slept on those red sheets.

Seokjin didn't remember about any of that. For a little while, he tried to act as if nothing happened.The only thing that remained from that time was that he used to be afraid of camera flashes and the color blue.

So, to defeat those demons and all his fears, decided to join a world of glamour, flashes and red carpets. A place that would help with restoring his confidence and self love.

He created another persona, Jin, the fearless. He got so used to live in that skin that forgot about Kim Seokjin, the amnesiac and fearful little boy.

He forgot about the woman. He forgot about his fear of cameras thanks to Jackson and learned to love himself as he was.

Until today, when Jackson disappeared and that occurrence seemed to woke up a part of himself who has been dormant for so long.

He didn't want to be afraid. But what if the woman in blue returned? What if the police was right and she wanted to abduct him again? What if he was next? So many incognitas and possible situations which were strangling him.

He felt the cold creeping to his arms and legs. He felt himself trembling. But he also felt Namjoon voice and body heat combating the coldness of the void of his memories.

He fell into the well and keep falling, leaving their reality and welcoming the nothingness.

 

 

J _ust after the crack a person can be healed and mended again._


	6. 6 히어로 (hero)

_Chapter 6:_

 

_Most of this chapter is written in Namjoon POV:_

"Hyung" said the purple haired producer. "hey, are you okay?"

Namjoon smiled when his hyung just hugged him stronger. Wrapping himself to his body like a koala.

Also, Namjoon still had the phone on his ear, waiting for Park Chanyel to speak. He was focused on that until felt Jin slip between his fingers.

He saw his eyes looking dead and lost on his thoughts. He saw Jin trembling like if they were outside in a cold winter night. And he though: he is having an episode.

"Seokjin-hyung... are you having an episode?" he asked, worried.

There was not answer as Seokjin was lost in the labyrinth created by his own blurred memories.

Namjoon knew about Seokjin's past. He was there when Jin's mother called to his house phone to know if Jin was there, as he still hadn't returned home from school.

He was there when the police asked about his whereabouts. He got acquainted with the cops during that time, Namjoon was a bright child who could understand what was happening and wanted to help as much as he could to help to find his bestfriend.

But he was just a kid. And, like Jin, he started to forget about it once the storm passed and the waters calmed.

That's why he never mentioned it again and for them, it was like it never happened. He didn't want to open old scars.

For that reason, he knew about his hyung's episodes.

They used to be frequent on their youth, when Seokjin's brain was adapting at the thought of  having being abducted, about becoming an amnesiac and forgetting a long part of a painful past.

Namjoon used to be there for him, used to help and constantly participated in Seokjin's healing  journey. That's why Namjoon was the second one after Jin's mother to cheer his hyung when he decided to become a model and felt proud about Seokjin's decision to defeat his fears by constantly battling them.

He was Seokjin's biggest fan: not because of his breathtaking beauty but because he was the most strong and hardworking human being on this world. He faced his fears and returned stronger. Seokjin was a true warrior.

After his debut and rising career, Namjoon was extremely euphoric when the funny, happy boy returned to his life. Kim Seokjin's became worldwide famous. With that he started to laugh again, feel and happier.

_Seokjin looked happy and that was enough._

Until today, Jackson's dissiparence might have woken up some memories long forgotten. And Namjoon wanted to help him with that. Wanted to protect him. Wanted to slay Jin's demons and hug the life out of him.

_Maybe Namjoon was also tricked by the perfected mask of the model._

_Maybe Namjoon got used to Jin instead of Kim Seokjin._

 

 

  
"Yes?" said a deep voice. "Missing People Department, Park Chanyeol speaking."

Namjoon decided to talk himself and not Jin, who started to fall sleep in his arms, his body not as cold nor trembling. The model's tense body finally starting to relax.

"Hello" said with a confidence that he was not feeling at all. "I'm Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin's friend" he hugged the older man tighter, leaning his head on his chest. "we received a response from Jackson, he said to not search for him but when we replied, our texts are not being read."

He heard a pause on the line and some machines that were making beeps.

"We already know" said the handsome grey haired inspector, his voice collected and calm. "and I sent a patrol to Mr Kim's place to secure it and protect it" Namjoon got surprised from the fast response of the cops. "also, we received the location where that text was sent and some patrol is already heading there." he paused again, Namjoon wondering about what was he doing. "Don't worry, you will be noticed by Jeon Jungkook if we discover anything" again, he paused a little bit, Namjoon could hear the cop typing in some keyboard. "oh, we got word that he is already there, open the door."

And they heard a bell ringing. Seokjin's door bell. Namjoon stood up from the couch, carefully untangling himself from his little koala and dropped Jin into a cocoon of pillows and blankets. After doing that, he ran to open the door. And here there was, the bunny cop, smiling while holding a walky talky into his ear.

He smiled and the world seemed brighter.

"I'm Jeon Jungkook, at your service."

" _How can this cute bunny be a police?_ " Thought Namjoon. But then, he watched behind the young cop and saw a man made of sunshine.

He invited both man inside the models door and closed the door behind them.

Today, at last, was getting a little bit better.

Or at last,

_brighter_.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


______________________________________


	7. 7 토끼와 빛 (the rabbit and the sunshine)

 

 

Seokjin woke up slowly and found himself in his bed, sweating and covered in all the blankets of his house.

His brain was feeling like that French cheese with holes which he hated with all his might.

He opened his eyes slowly, his retinas were getting used to the light that was coming inside the room from the windows, which was a wall made of glass. From that, he could watch most of gangnam skyline. It was still nighttime.

Namjoon must have forgotten to activate the anti-sunlight system of the crystal, which could turn opaque or black with a click on the house robotic panel. He bought a smart home, after all.

He pushed the blankets aside and enjoyed when his sweaty skin came into contact with the cold air of the room. He also stretched to remove traces of sleep and put both feet on the dark green carpet of the floor, enjoying of its soft texture.

He went to the private bathroom of his room, the light comes on alone and looked at himself into the mirror.

The reflection that stared back looked bad. His skin was paler than usual, dark circles were prominent under his tired eyes, he wore his dark hoody and jeans, he could note his morning breath and he, had a pimple near his right eyebrow.

What a disaster. It's been years since his perfect skin got tainted with pimples. Jimin is going to punish and scream at him for forgetting about his beauty care. After all...

Kim Seokjin  _lived well enough thanks to his beauty._

Putting that aside, yesterday surely was a long day. At least, all the negative thoughts and fears dissipated thanks to some sleep hours. His migraine also got better.

Although he didn't remember falling sleep, so surely it was during Joon's call. He surely felt bad about it, to give his friend all the weight of yesterday's problem. But he couldn't help that his brain and long forgotten memories overpowered his will to go on.

It happened sometimes, when he had this kind of episodes. The doctor's said that until he doesn't remember what happened during that week from 10 years ago, his brain could turn off and trap him into some kind of cold and anxious nightmare. That if he medicated himself with antidepressants, he would eventually reduce those episodes and get better. So he did, and got better. Until yesterday's unfortunate events that led for him to be trapped in that labyrinth once again.

" _I'm better now_ " he thought while opened the small closet of the bathroom and looking for the pot of pills he received by his doctor. Pills that he did not use for more than 5 years. But he did an effort to fight and heal from that trauma and he didn't want for it to go to waste by stopping medicating, so he put the small and yellow pill into his mouth, watching himself it the mirror while opening the tap water. He bent to get close to the running water and drank some to be able to swallow the pill. He noticed that his long hair bothered his eyes and got a little bit wet. He had to cut it. Maybe he will try to cut it himself.

_Hopefully, the nightmare passed and dawn arrived, taking the cold and bringing the heat of a new day._

He took off his sweatshirt over his head, stretching his arms and throwing it to the ground. He looked at the mirror, where his naked chest was exposed without any hair and showed his sculpted abs.

A part of himself that his fans didnt know, as he never did half naked photoshoots. Except for that one time... a long time ago.

After that, he took off the button and unzipped his pants, getting out of them and leaving it on the ground. Next, he got out of his black boxers.

Then, he decided to shower away all his pain to renew his spirits, so Jin could be able to show up again.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Namjoon was reading a book in a armchair near the breathtaking window which showed the skyline our their city. He was trying to not to listen the conversation of the two polices sitting on his hyung couch.

He looked away from the white pages of his book, focusing on the views of the city. Outside, the weather was grey and the sun was hidden by smoke and contamination. The grayish sky mixed together with the grayish skyscrapers and roads, where the orange taxis circulated looking for customers and the people walking on the sidewalks looked like ants, each going to live their lifes without even looking at those they crossed. Loneliness and apathy was becoming an accepted disease.

He remembered some verses of his last rap, which he published in his sound cloud. He got inspiration while looking at the same window.

_Buses with changing landscapes even when I'm sitting still_

_And similar buildings actually varying a little_

_Scent of life that could be disgusting or not_

_And the cold parks pretending to be warm_

_People who always have to wander_

He talked about Seoul. As he loved the Seoul that he could see from this same window of Seokjin hyung appartment.

It was then when he heard the water of the shower and he stopped watching through the window to see the wall that was hiding the bathroom from him. Seokjin was awake and taking a shower. That's a good sign, it meant that he wanted to get better and to drown his problems away.

It was then when he noticed both polices had fallen silent. He looked at them through the crystal reflection of the models luxury appartment, watching both man without them knowing it.

The first one resembled a bunny. Ar first he thought that he was cute but then he took off his uniform jacket and Namjoon could see his muscular biceps and arms. He was not a cute bunny but muscular hare. He was tall, muscular and his hair was black and curly at the ends, he was doe-eyed and his smile lighted the whole room.

Then the second one, was also tall but more slender, he had the body of a dancer. His smile was heart-shaped and warm. He was handsome and resembled the sunshine that was hidden outside.

They were silent for a moment before saying:

"Seokjin-sshi is awake" said the one called Hoseok, stating a fact.

The younger nodded and watched at Namjoon through the crystal. Namjoon reflection was blurred by the reflection of the room against the city.

Namjoon decided to let them talk. They didnt want to give information about how was the case elapsing until the models returned.

"It must be amazing to be Kim Seokjin's friend" said the younger, voice small. "or be the model, look at his house, views and displayed art."

"I can't even imagine owning this kind of appartment with my salary" protested Hoseok with an small voice. "not to say that it must be amazing to watch that face everyday in a mirror" said while signaling to the portrait which was displayed in the farthest wall, which showed the model in what seemed a really expensive photoshoot. "it has to be a photo taken by Jackson."

 

       

  
Namjoon chuckled while he listened to them talking about 'the photo'. It showed something that Kim Seokjin hated with all his might, as he always said that glasses doesn't suit him. Namjoon actually thought that Jin with glasses was a sight to die for, as he looked older and sexier.

Both polices where watching at the photo with hearts in their eyes.

"Actually, that photo was taken by Seokjin hyung favourite fansite" said Namjoon, meddling into the dialogue of the policeman. "which is called  _stigma_ _"_

Jungkook, being a big fan of the model, nodded. He also followed closely that fansite on twitter, the best non professional photos of the model were taken by him.

"Seokjin has a lot of pics of  _stigma_  on his phone" murmured the younger, thinking about the reaction of all the Missing Persons department when they stalked the model's phone. If it wasn't forbidden, Jungkook would have saved some pics of the models camera roll, as he had some unpublished selcas and handsome mirror pics.

Namjoon noticed the water went silent a while ago.

Then, Namjoon also heard some vibration and saw that it was a call on Seokjin phone. Namjoon took off from the armchair to watch who was calling, as did both policeman. They were surprised when they read the one who was calling, as it said:

 **Manager Min Yoongi**   _is calling_

Take the call or hang up.

 **Ignored**.

 

And then they heard a door opening, the model opening the door and drying his hair with a towel in his other arm, moisture and water drops rooted in his skin, which seemed to glow.

He observed Namjoon with a smile and then noticed both policeman which weren't there the night before. Or at last, when he was still awake. He bowed at them, feeling shy to be seen without his daily routine and his almost death face.

Then, he noticed the phone and the one who was calling. The model ran to pick up but it was too late.

 _Shit_.

Min Yoongi would come back from the other side of the world just to kick his ass after ignoring the call.

He would cut his honeymoon short just to kill the model, as he hated to be ignored.

Seokjin called back.

He closed his eyes, took air as the grumpy manager took the call.

Then,  _he waited for the screaming contest to start._

 

 

_***_


	8. 8 시끄러움 (loudness)

 

 

Today was a normal day in the police station of Gangnam. Police were tipping on their computers, writing reports and investigating some boring cases... as in gangnam district they only have problems about  _beauty brokers_  (or criminals who demand the attention of pedestrians to take them to illegal aesthetic surgery clinics) and drug dealers, as in gangnam there are the most exclusive and expensive clubs in Seoul.

Due to that, the one department that was the most bored was  _Missing Person's Unit_ , also called MPU, as they had to help other departments because Seoul was too secure and (thanks to the shinny alpaca) people never get abducted.

The last case they had to investigate was the dissiparence of a foreigner exchange student, about two or three months prior, that got found in a love hotel, drugged, naked and alive, two days after his disappearance.

As she was violated and not kidnapped, the department of violation and crimes against woman took the case.

And Jungkook was bored as hell in his mandatory break, while he tapped on his phone, listening to some GOT7 music (a recently debuted group). The MPU office was tiny, as they never had work to do. Their investigation wall was also small, empty and waiting to be used.

He looked at Jung Hoseok, his companion, who was watching cat falling vines in YouTube and laughing his ass off.

Jungkook watched his companion enjoy life and being a ball of sunshine, his heart shaped lips open, laughing with tears in his eyes. He was bending over his middle while continually banging on the table to express his amusement.

But then, the world collapsed as the emergency phone rang and Junkook and Hoseok stopped his bored distractions. They looked at the black phone near a white one (their normal one, for normal cases and intern communication), the one that was ringing and which normally means work. They stared at each other as their boss office door opened, the silver haired head department Park Chanyeol looking at them with a look that could provoke to the bravest person to piss himself.

Jungkook could not pick up the phone since he was a novice and those functions fell on his closest superior, which was Hoseok. So the ball of sunshine paused his video, the cat froze mid fall with a panic face, and ran to the phone, picking it up and carrying it to the ear.

Jungkook was looking at Hoseok, clinging into his own pants for dear life, hoping for it to be a case. (Not that the police always hope for criminals to appear and make ruckus, but they have to work, and he wanted to experience the adrenaline of the hunt).

"Hello, here  _MPU_ _"_ said the red haired policeman. "oh, a disappearance?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck.

Jungkook was dancing inside his brain, celebrating his boring days end and the beginning of a new hunt, adventures and heroism.

"What?!" exclaimed, almost screamed, the red haired police. "Jackson Wang disappeared?!"

Jungkook was euphoric (and devastated) not because somebody abduction but because he is going to meet one of his idols. What were the chances about this happening? Slim to an 1%.

"Omo! Are Kim Seokjin, RM, Mark and Jinyoung in the interrogation waiting room???!" He exclaimed, almost screaming again.

Jungkook run off to their window, pushing over the slits of the blind to make them bigger with his fingers and overjoyed with the presence of all his most admired idols there.

Jin was handsome, more handsome in real life than in photos. His black eyes were consumed by dark eye bags, his skin impeccable and wearing casual clothes which seemed to cost millions just by hanging from his body. RM arm was into the back of his chair, showing his protective demeanor. His purple hair was carefree, as if he had not combed his hair after waking from a nap. The other two idols were murmuring to themselves. Jungkook closed the blind and looked at their boss, who was passing into their small office.

"Ok" finished their hope. "We are going to need the interrogation room number two and more some help from the other departments" he looked at their boss, who nodded. "also call for Seo in-guk, we might need his hacking abilities."

Hoseok cancelled the call by hanging the phone and looked at them, his eyes were shining. Then, he started to jump in happiness, doing his little celebration dance, circling his arms upward while smiling and jumping.

Jungkook joined his dance, jumping into his hyung and hugging him.

Someone coughed to reclaim their attention.

"Make sure to hidden your happines while in presence of the victims" said their silver haired boss, heading into his office to wear his uniform.

Jungkook and Hoseok also wore their uniforms, looking and fixing invisible wrinkles and possible food dirt.

After all, they were going to investigate and interrogate celebrities, they had to look good.

Hoseok opened the back door of their office, where they had a corridor that only police could use, so he could open the door of interrogation room two, full with two more people,  _murder unit's_  Cha Eun-woo and  _riot control department's_  Shownu.

"Hi" smiled Hoseok and closing the door behind his back, entering inside the soundproof room behind the mirror wall. He watched at the multiple screens, which were connected to the camera inside the interrogation room and where already recording, Chanyeol was reading and checking out all the papers that were laying on the table.

Shownu smiled and signaled the chair beside him with a movement of his hand and chin.

Hoseok sat and watched as Jungkook entered the room and sat in the chair near the mirror wall, he was widely smiling.

" _Calm your fanboying ass_ " Thought Hoseok when he saw the younger boy's emotions could be clearly seen in his face.

Then, their boss, composed as always, cleared his throat by coughing and headed to the door, opening it slowly and calling the top models name.

Hoseok could see their youngest legs moving up and down in nervousness. His face looked expecting for the celebrity to come, his doe-eyes open and awaiting. When the model finally entered the interrogation room, the three backup polices could see it across the mirror wall, he was handsome and had an aura that called for their attention. He had the kind of beauty that called to you like a siren, everywhere he goes. He had the kind of aura that could resemble a Hollywood star even in their low quality recording cameras.

Jungkook asked Hoseok to take a photo for him, to keep and treasure as a memory of the day that one of his celebrities decided to attend their police station.

The handsome model smiled, Hoseok took a photo for Jungkook (ignoring the other two judging stares) and the interrogation began, each word following by silences, nods and an unwavering chilling sensation that whatever happened with Jackson, wasn't an accident.


	9. 9 메시지를 받았다 (you have received a sms)

 

 

 

Six policeman were rewatching the interrogation from the three man, taking in consideration their corporal expression, looking for clues that signaled them as guilty or possible criminals.

Jungkook was in nirvana, his heart still beating with the excitement of earlier hours while watching the video, looking dazzled at the model's movements and expressions.

Hoseok was concentrating in the videos, attentively but wondering about his dinner. It was already late and they extended their work hours more than they should. He wanted to go home, eat and sleep.

Chanyeol, like a hound searching for his prey, was on his computer, searching for any kind of information about their ' _complainants_ '.

He knew about Kim Seokjin's past, just a few bits of informations about the amnesiac. Although, right now he was reading about the policeman who took his case more than ten year's ago and found him, Park Sung-woong (a/n: because I like this actor so so so much), an eminence of all Seoul police departments .

Chanyeol was afraid that whatever happened to Jackson would also happen to the young model, so he was considering about how to act from now on.

Having his past into consideration, the teenager Seokjin was found naked and with hypothermia in an abandoned wooden cabin near the train tracks. The police found a camera with a hundred photos of the victim, laying drugged and with multiple seemingly innocent poses. The scientific police found no evidence to incriminate anyone, not a hair nor fingerprint. Just a camera and a breathtakingly half-dead boy.

The police and the boy's family breathed more easily when the doctor determined that Kim Seokjin had not been sexually abused. He was still a virgin and just happened to be drugged with  _Rohypnol_ , also called the club drug, which made the boy fall unconscious for days. The young man also seemed dehydrated but appeared that he had been fed with physiological serum.

The boy got psychiatric help to get better but his memories were still lost inside his brain. At least, he seemed to overcome that traumatic situation.

He watched Jungkook legs move, then to the one called Shownu. He was a man of action, so he looked in boredom at the distance, eyes lost. His body, tall and muscular, made to pursue and fight tumultuous criminals. He hated the wait before the pursuit.

Then, to their beautiful Cha Eun-woo, their cutest recruit, who studied interdisciplinary forensic studies minor but preferred to be a police in their murder department. He was cute and blood obsessed. He was also watching the recordings with Hoseok.

Then, in a separate table, was their police department's computer expert (and Hacker) Seo In-guk. He was tipping his keyboard and humming while he did his thing. Then, he screamed:

"Jungkook, take your fanboy ass here to see this marvelous sight" called their hacker, delighted at his findings- he is such a narcissist.

Jungkook took one second to leave his chair and put his chin on the computer expert's shoulder. His arms supported on the boy's chair. His mouth opened and his legs almost gave up because of the beautiful sight.

       

       

       

       

  
"Sweet Almighty God of Alpacas" said the maknae, beaming. "I would become a narcissist if I had his face too" Jungkook gave the hacker a kicked puppy face. "can I get to keep some?"

The handsome hacker shakes his head, smiling like the Cheshire cat.

"Enjoy while you can because it's your only chance in this life to see your idol's camera roll" he tutted.

The youngest pouted while tapping his finger against his chin in contemplation.

Then, suddenly an alarm sounded on the hacker's computer. The man reacted fast and wrote something made with numbers and signs that was unintelligible for normal human beings. Then, a map appeared on his computer, a red light signaling an address.

"Boss!" the hacker almost screamed and Jungkook'd ears, that were near the hacker's shoulders, started to hurt because of his scream. "Seokjin received another  _kakaotalk_ , come here and see."

Park Chanyeol stood up from his chair and it fell to the ground. He was followed by Shownu, Hoseok and Eun-woo, who placed themselves behind the computer expert to watch it.

The message appeared in some black program, it had a lot of numbers and formulas... but a sentence could be read: " _don't look for me"._  Then, on the map they could see that it was sent near Mapo Bridge, one of the biggest bridges of the han river, as it has a 60 foot drop into the river.

Also popularly called  _the bridge of death_.

It could only mean a thing: suicide.   
That bridge has become a popular spot for suicide attempts. Half of the 100 jumpers from last year died on impact, the other ones were rescued as the bridge fences has sensors that calls for the police and the so called South Korea Suicide Rascue.

"Okay" said Chanyeol, starting to move around the room, his brain traveling at one hundred per hour. "Hoseok, call Lisa and tell her to contact the captain of Youido Water Rascue Unit, send the coordinates to them so they can patrol the area and look for some clues, a body, a phone or anything at all."

Jungkook was looking at the blinking red dot showing the coordinates of the presumed Jackson's location, on the far left extreme of the bridge.

"Jungkook" said the commander, the maknae looked away from the screen to see his boss, who looked at him with an intense and penetrating gaze. "accompany Hoseok and together head for Kim Seokjin house, maybe someone is trying to distract us to go against the model."

Jungkook nodded and approached their sunshine, who was calling the so called Lisa, their communications specialist.

"Shownu, Eun-woo and myself are going to head for the bridge to investigate the zone and help the Water Rascue Unit" Chanyeol finished and waiter for his man to start moving and preparing themselves.

Jungkook and Hoseok took their uniform jackets and patrol car keys, running fast to their police cruiser and driving as fast as they could to the richest part of gangnam, where the proud luxury appartment condo stood tall and bright with multiple lights on.

"Patrol car n° 234 please tell inform about your whereabouts" said the soft and beautiful voice of Lisa into their radio.

Jungkook took the walky-talky and pressed the button to activate it.

"We are arriving to Kim Seokjin-shi condo to custody him" answered the maknae. "cut."

They parked the car and closed it, heading into the main entrance of the building, where an old man was watching some TV while eating  _dakkochi_ , small pieces of chicken and scallions grilled on a skewer.

The man looked at their uniform, asked for their plaques and led them into the elevator.

His handheld transceiver activated again.

"Custody team what's your 20?" said their boss voice, asking for their whereabouts and sounding tired.

Jungkook pressed the button again.

"We are arriving into the model's place" said the maknae, looking outside the panoramic elevator, going up into the sky. "cut."

Hoseok looked at his eye bags in the mirror. He looked so tired and felt like shit.

"Jungkook" said Chanyeol. "we arrived too late to the bridge, haven't find anything, not a body nor his phone, Shownu and Eun-woo are searching the area but there's a lot of witnesses so we believe that the media will be here at any moment, I returned to our department to plan and write a report for our superiors."

Jungkook cursed while the door of the elevator opened, a tall and broad sandalwood door in front of them.

"Roger that" said the younger one, nodding at Hoseok so he could knock at the door.

"I will keep in touch, inform me if you find something suspicious."

"10-4" murmured Jungkook, it meant okay as it could be heard a few steps approaching the door.

The door opened and a disheveled RM was in front of them, looking tired af.   
He seemed surprised to see them there.

Jungkook smiled.

"Jungkook at your service" said the maknae, hiding the walky-talky into his pants back pockets.

Namjoon eyes widened as he hold the door open, for the two agents to get inside.  
  
  
  
  


  
  
***  
  
  
  


 

 

**_Somewhere in Seoul:_ **

A young boy smirked as he watched the TV, it said: ' _Jackson Wang presumably committed suicide tonight_ ". The images were shown from an helicopter, various patrol ships were searching the dark and deep waters of the Han River, illuminating the zone.

He was cleaning the lens of his camera with smooth and precise movements.

Then, he heard a notification on his black smartphone, the light turning white and blinking.

An email has arrived and it said:

 **From** :  _Big Hit Entertainment._  
 **To** :  _kth.photography@xxxxxxx.com_  
 **Subject** : substitute work position

Kim Taehyung smirk widened, his eyes shining in the darkness of his appartment.

" _Finally_ " He thought.

The television sounded in the background, witness of his success.


	10. Characters:

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little summary :)

I want to make something clear. This is a  **BTS fanfiction**  and there will be a lot of people from Big Hit and all our boys!

But there are a lot of secondary characters so I needed to create new characters or use other people. So I used Korean actors and other singers that I love 💕

 

 _Starring_ :

 

 

》  **Kim Seokjin**

A twenty four young model from South Korea. He is nice, social and prone to eat when nervous. Be aware of his jokes and dark side, it can appear in the most unexpected situations. Has a dark past.

 

》 **Kim Taehyung**

A young photographer from South Korea. He is as handsome as any models but refuses to work in that field. He dreams about to take (and keep) the most beautiful photographs.

 

》   **Kim Namjoon**

Kim Seokjin best friend. Has a crush on him but settled in being friendzoned. He thinks he is Kim Seokjins biggest fan and the only one who can completely understand him.   
  
  
  
  


 

》  **Jackson Wang**

Kim Seokjin's photographer. His disappearance is still a mystery.  
  


》  **Park Jinyoung**

Jackson's roommate.  He is a dancer and singer in a newly debuted group called GOT7. He is a really nice guy.

 

》  **Tuan Yi Eun (known as Mark Tuan)**

Jackson's second roommate. He is the main rapper of the same idol group as Jinyoung. He is a little bit serious and responsible. He is the one who thinks knows Jackson's the most. 

 

》  **Park Chanyeol**

The head policeman in Jackson's dissiparence.  Like a hellhound, he never gives up until solving the case.

 

》  **Jeon Jungkook**

A rookie cop. His first case is Jackson's dissiparence.  He may have to speand a lot of time with the famous model Kim Seokjin as security and to carry on the investigation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

》》  **Min Yoongi**

Kim Seokjin's manager. Little is known about him but everyone is scared of him. He is responsible, adores to sleep and owns a dog called Min Holly. Also, he is on his honeymoon.

 

 

》》  **Shownu (Son Hyun-woo)**

He is a police from the Riot Control department that helps the MPU when they need personal. Like an action man, he is durable and reliable to work during field hunts.

 

 

》》  **Cha Eun-woo**

The Gangnam Police Department flower boy. He studied forensics but decided to work as a police of the murder unit. He loves blood, as he says that it has the response to everything.

 

 

》》  **Seo In-guk**

The police department computer expert and a really (good) competent hacker. He is a ironic and likes to play battles with other hackers.

 

 

》》  **Park Sung-woong**

       

He is a famous policeman in Seoul. Also, he found Kim Seokjin when he was abducted and saved him, more than 10 years ago.

 

 

**》》  Lisa**

       

She is the girl in charge of Gangnam Police Department's communication department.

 


	11. 10 민 윤기 (Min Yoongi)

 

 

 

_Then, he noticed the phone and who was calling. The model ran to pick up but it was too late._

_Shit_.

_Min Yoongi would come back from the other side of the world just to kick his ass after ignoring the call._

_He would cut his honeymoon short just to kill the model, as he hated to be ignored._

_Seokjin called back._

_He closed his eyes, took air as the grumpy manager took the call._

_Then, he waited for the screaming contest to start._

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

"Kim" a long pause. "Seokjin" said the grumpy manager, voice icy cold. "why haven't you called me sooner?"

Seokjin lowered his eyes, his long and black eyelashes covering them. He looked at his feet, covered by warm and fluffy slippers with little drawn alpacas on them.

"It happened too suddenly" replied the older, repentant. "I stayed too long without sleep because I was nervous about the LG photoshoot" murmured, voice low. "then, Jackson disappeared and I didn't notice it until hours later, because I fell sleep in that old couch."

Min Yoongi sighed, done with his employer. He always stays awake for too long, practicing to be perfect in every angle. Working out to stay fit. Practice singing to please their company, Bighit Entertainment, because they wanted for the moment to become an idol and actor, starting to become a little greedy and feeling that Kim Seokjin had so much potential to waste being just a model.

"And then what?" asked the manager, watching his beautiful husband run around the waves of their beautiful paradise.

Seokjin looked at Namjoon, who was looking at him intently, trying to cheer him up.

"And then came Namjoon, we decided to call Jackson's roommate for his whereabouts and decided to go to the police department to denounce his disappearance as well" Seokjin was drawing circles with on feet, trying to dig into the wood.

Yoongi sighed again.

"And  _Stigma_  saw you, took a photo of you and all your fans started to trend theories about why were you going to the police."

Seokjin closed his eyes, awaiting his manager complaints.

_Stigma surely is always in the most unexpected places._

"And then" says his manager, you get interrogated and, let me strangle you from where I am, because you careless boy... "Yoongi took some air, closing his fists. "you show them a photo of Jackson in the interrogation room?"

Jungkook laughed from the couch, smiling to his hyung.

"It was too cute" says the young police to Namjoon, who was a little lost. "he showed us a photo because he thought that we, the police, could not hack his phone to search for it ourselves."

Namjoon tried to hid a laugh by coughing.

"I'm sorry manager-nim" murmured the model, his ears turning red. He always referred to the younger with honorific when he felt bad about something.

Namjoon, Hoseok and Jungkook cooed.

"I know" replied the manager, feeling so done and tired for today, wanting to take a nap. "it's not your fault that Jackson decided to disappear from the face of the earth" he sighed again, the manager felt as his hairs started to prematurely turn grey. "but BigHit Entertainment decided to contact me to notify about a substitute photographer that they are going to interview" the manager got lost in his beautiful husband playful smirk, signaling for him to come to the warm and emerald waters of the Pacific. "well, you are not going to like it but they are going to record a ' _variety_   _show_ ' where some amateur and professional photographers will compete to be Jackson's substitute."

Seokjin eyes widened, feeling his palms to start to sweat.

" _Not just one unknown person but a lot of them?"_  He mentally panicked.

It was going to be hellish for the human being behind the model facade. He was fine going to International runaways and meeting fleeting people, shaking hands and smiling.

But constant people, people who would mean something for the model? People who would cohabit with him, share his things and personal time? That was harder. He needed a lot of time to gain confidence in unknown people.

"They want to counteract the bad publicity of Jacksons disappearance by giving people what they desire" Yoongi considered about what he was about to say, knowing that it may affect the model's delicate wellbeing. "And they desire for you to become an icon for the nation, not just by your looks, but also for your acting and singing."

Seokjin eyes widened, staring at Namjoon, who looked a little bit guilty. He started to scratch his neck and scalp, and he only did that when nervous. Seokjin glared at him, knowing that he hides something.

"I obliged Namjoon to start writing songs for you to try and sing" declared the manager, impatient because his beloved was starting to pout about ' _less work and play more_ '.

Namjoon face paled.

"About th-"

Seokjin cut him by raising a finger and turning his back at him and the police, approaching the glass wall to see the skyline of the city. This view always calmed his overexcited heart. It hit him, but, to see helicopters flying over the river hang, going west, towards the outskirts of the Mapo bridge. He tried to see what kind of helicopters were, but it was too dark to read anything.

"So they want to suddenly substitute Jackson, as if he wasn't worth anything?" said the model, affronted. "without waiting for his return nor for the police to find a clue about his whereabouts?"

Yoongi paused, feeling that if he did a bad move, his model would start to scream. Always a drama queen.

"Without a photographer you can't work" tried to calm his employer down. "and without work you cannot afford the beautiful penthouse you are now living in, nor your expensive car nor your favourite brands. Maybe Jackson left and abandoned you" Min Yoongi gulped and bit his lower lip. "the substitute will be temporary, it will entertain your fans while Jackson is found and it will distract you from overthinking and getting sick" The secretary took another breath, getting up from the towel under the straw umbrella and glaring at the sun, wishing not to burn his pale skin. "I will return soon return, but you know how my little bean hates to be ignored" he looked at his expensive but submersible watch. "and watch I cannot cut short our honey moon, he would cut my-"

Seokjim glared at his own reflection.

"I don't need to hear about your husband tendencies with your private parts Yoongi" cut the model, getting frustrated.

Yoongi sighed again, he could feel his hair turning grey and going bald.

"BigHit is going to contact to you soon" informed his manager. "about the details of their new variety show, at the moment, I just know that about some of the selected photographers, they seem good kids with big dreams, I'm sure that you will like them."

Seokjin nodded a little, feeling stressed.

"Once i start to get to know them.... they will get expelled" he complained, with a low voice.

Yoongi closed his eyes, feeling bad for his protégé.

"Don't worry too much" tried to cheer the manager. "you have time and I will be there to support you, as will be Jimin and Namjoon."

Jin wanted to cry a little.

"I can't wait for you to return and to hug you, yoongi" the models voice broke. "I miss you."

And Yoongi heart almost broke too. Seokjin could go from angry to sad in a moment. Especially under pressure. Likewise, it could happen more after an episode. His emotions could vary in seconds.

"Take care of your health, eat your pills, dont separe yourself from Namjoon, dont cause problems to the police and, especially, sleep a lot until I return" Yoongi adviced. "just a few more days and we will see each other gain."

Seokjin nodded and watched his purple haired friend to approach him on the window reflection. He felt his hands on his shoulder, massaging them. Seokjin glared at him but Namjoon smiled, showing his dimples and causing the model to forget about why was he so angry to begin with.

"I miss you " murmured the model, tilting his head to lay into the producer hand. "enjoy and return to me safely."

Yoongi chucked and sent a kiss, which Seokjin replied with another one. Then, he cancelled the call.

"Traitor" murmured the model, looking at Namjoon eyes that were reflected in the clean cristal.

Namjoon just shrug, looking a little guilty.

"I always wanted to write song for you to sing, so I accepted the job and kept quiet because of Yoongi orders."

Seokjin pouted. His voice was not meant to sing. His pessimistic thought must have been reflected on his face as Namjoon digs his fingers into his shoulders.

Seokjin just shrug, heading into the couch and leaving Namjoon standing.

He sat beside Jungkook, who was clearly smiling because of the great news about a variety program starring by the model and possible new future jobs.

The model smiled, feeling bad about showing them his negative side. Took the controller and dialled the channel one, which gave news 24h a day.

His world seemed to collapse again, when he watched the headline of the news.

' _Jackson Wang presumably committed suicide tonight_ ' as helicopters were flying the river, filming various patrol ships searching the river dark and unforgiving waters.

Seokjin looked at both policeman, who were also looking guilty.

The model sighed.

 

 

_He was surrounded by traitors._


	12. 미지수 (Unknown)

 

It was good that he was sitting because if not, he would had fallen and hurt his precious butt. Honestly, this kind of hurt is not the ache he would have preferred, not now, but maybe in a future. Surely, not caused by falling in his buttocks.

His eyes were staring at the television, seeing all the people that were watching the 'crime scene'. The police agents were securing the zone, which was almost all the length of Mapo Bridge and also cut the circulation in both ways.

Curious people were trying to watch, all of them were morbid and horrible human beings. Also, the media were all trying to catch the best ' _titular_ ' to sell and win audiences by showing the 'presumably' suicide of a well known public figure.

 

 _Vultures, all of them_.

 

The helicopter, which was filming all of this, kept showing some boats that were searching the dark waters, trying to find something on the unforgiving waters.

But Seokjin's eyes were focused on the headline ' _Jackson Wang presumably committed suicide tonight_ '. The word suicide kept attacking his nerves because... it was impossible, right?

Jackson was a happy man, always smiled and joked around. He was the only one who laughed sincerely to his dad jokes and sometimes, replied with another one.

Like the time they went to a fashion photoshoot in Japan and he proposed to try a famous sushi restaurant near Akihabara, when the photographer felt punny enough to:

_"_ _Hey hyung_ _"_ _Jackson was acting like the drama queen he was_ _. "_ _I would avoid sushi if I was you_ _"_ _he paused, smiled at his employer and the model could feel his laughter to start bubbling inside his bell_ _y. "_ _it can be a little fishy._ _"_

_And Kim Seokjin laughed, startling all the pedestrians in Akihabara as they looked at Jin like he was crazy._

Seriously, he never understood why people makes fun of his laugh. The model was proud of it as it could light up a million people smiles. It was truly the almighty alpaca gift for him.

People who find his laugh horrible were the crazy ones.

Jackson's eyes were shinny, beautifully alive right then, a man full of dreams and hopes. A man who wanted to rule the world beside him. A man who was starting to become one of the best fashion photographers as International fashion magazines increasingly requested his work.

 

_He seemed a happy man._

_But so does Jin._

_And he still hid many issues._

 

He still remembers one of the last conversations they shared, a week before, while preparing for the upcoming important LG photoshoot.

 

 

 

  
**_Flashback_ **

 

 

 _Jackson was cleaning his favourite portrait lens, sitting_   _on the old couch in their studio and stealing glances at reflection in a full body mirror strategically angled to somewhere hidden into room divider._

_Unbeknownst, the model was changing himself behind a beautiful shoji screen made of translucent paper adorned with cherry blossom, a Japanese room divider that he bought in Kyoto._

_If geisha means artist, someone who has to entertain their guest by wearing beautiful makeup, enchanting silk clothes, must dance, sing and look beautiful_   _with their every moment, Kim Seokjin felt like one._

_So he fell in love with that beautiful and delicate thing and bought the shoji screen._

So? _he felt beautiful each time he_  changed  _clothes behind it, when his make-up artist painted and adorned his face._

_He felt like he was part of that hidden and beautiful world of white paint and beautiful kimonos. Wanted to take part of their floating world._

_The model was_   _battling with_   _a button of a Mulberry silk made expensive_  shirt, a button he forgot to put out, caused for his head to become stuck and made it impossible to move it through the hole when he heard the voice of the photographer.

_"_ _I'm starting to fear to head home alone because I always feel like I'm not alone, that someone is following me but once I turn around to see who, there's nothing. Maybe I'm becoming crazy._ _"_

_Seokjin looked at him, tilting his head, finaly archiving to unbutton that hindering thing and angrily throwing the shirt into a wooden chair next to his wardrobe._

_"_ _Maybe there's truly nothing_ _"_ _said the model_ _. "_ _maybe you are so used of people staring at you that you feel like it's always happening._ _"_

_Jacksom vigorously shook his head, trying for Jin to understand his fears._

_"_ _The other day I was on a train_ _"._ _he said, almost trembling_ _. "_ _the rattle stopped once it reached a train station, i heard the doors open and close, and the train continued on its way. After a few minutes_ _."_ _He paused to breath in_ _. "_ _I felt a strange sensation begin to spread in the environment. My body tensed on his own. Something told me that I was being watched_ _"_ _he signaled to himself, dramatically emphasizing his body with his arms_ _. "_ _and then, I saw a boy staring at me from the area of passage between wagons, through the glass of the door_ _"_ _he trembled again, suddenly feeling cold_ _. "_ _I couldn't watch his face, as he was wearing a white mask that covered most of his face... and it was far away, but his eyes hyung..._ _"_ _Jackson seemed lost on his memories, vivid on his brain_ _. "_ _his eyes were colder than ice. It made me think 'how is it possible for someone to have a gaze as cold as that?'._ _"_

_Seokjin listened and nodded, imagining the sentiment of his friend._

_"_ _Then, I looked to my book again, because I felt afraid of our eyes meeting again, but the sensation of being watched disappeared and suddenly, the boy_ _has_ _left_ _"_ _Jackson pulled the sleeve of the jersey, nervous_ _. "_ _but hyung, it's the same sensation I feel when I'm outside..._ _"_

 

_***_

 

Maybe Jackson was right and someone was following him.

Maybe a  _sasaeng_  got obsessed with the photographer. Maybe, he was unlucky enough to attract that kind of people, human being obsessed with idols and famous people who wanted to rule their thoughts and lifes with fear and darkness.

People who said that 'were in love', but actually were monsters capable enough to follow, stalk, abduct and (possible) kill their idols. That kind of fake love was powerful enough to... might have...

Seokjin shuddered. He didn't want to consider the possibility of his photographer committing suicide because of some obsessed meanie.

He forgot about who were with him as Namjoon, always prepared to take care of his hyung and to give him comfort, put his long arm in his shoulders, carefully pulling the oldest to his chest.

"Hyung" murmured softly into the model's still wet hair. "don't worry too much, there's no evidence, still."

Namjoon looked at the two policeman, searching for his support.

Both young man nodded, trying to feel calm but knowing more than they said. But they didn't have permission to say anything, yet.

"Our boss hasn't said anything... yet" said Jungkook, trying to avoid confidential questions.

But Seokjin wasn't buying it. He looked at both policeman, squinting his eyes. Then, he stared at Hoseok, who was looking to the window to avoid the older stare, biting his lips to avoid a nervous smile. The sunshine policeman always smiled when he wanted to lie. Truth to be told, he was a really bad liar.

"Why are you smiling?" said the model. "is it fun?" Seokjin raised his head from Namjoon's chest, his eyes were accusatory, his kind of savage side appearing because of their tense situation. "Do you find the possible suicide of my photographer laughable?"

Hoseok closed his eyes and felt his lips tremble. He couldn't laugh at this kind of situation, but his nervous laugh truly was horrible and picked the wrong moment to appear. His teary eyes were closed as he endured the 'want' to hysterically laugh his lungs out.

Jungkook looked at Hoseok, knowing about how this kind of stressful situations affected his companion. So he decided to act confident and said something.

"Hey" murmured the younger one. "It's obviously not a fun situation, so chill, he just have a really bad case of hysteria laugh."

Seokjin grumbled, feeling disrespected by the younger one. He closee his eyes. Inclining his head to his friends chest to calm himself from escalating. Namjoon watched the scene and thought about a way to calm his hyung and the policeman. Poor Hoseok, looked about to faint.

Namjoon looked at the television, watching the boats search the river.

"Jackson was not a man capable of committing suicide" murmured the purple haired producer, tightly hugging his hyung. "maybe it's an accident, maybe his phone was stolen and someone is playing with us."

Seokjin turned his cheek so that it was in contact with the heartbeat of his best friend. Alive and thundering inside the producer broader chest. His most constant and caring friend.

He looked at the television, watching as the boats started to sail to farthest and farthest parts of the river length. Lately, with all the rain they received, our han rivers flow had grown and the current was very strong, if somebody jumped, his body could be anywhere. Nobody can survive an angry river like the one they showed in tv.

Namjoon started to massage his arms, his big and caring hands going up and down, up and down, up and down, squeezing and resuming his dance of caressing with his knuckles, so Seokjin's nerves started to decrease as his sleep deprived self started to increase.

The only voice that could be heard was the monotonous voice of the presenter, repeating the same facts over and over again, without any news.

"Today at 23:40 PM we received an anonymous call informing about the police searching in our precious Han river along the hardworking suicide rascue team" the woman's sweet but robotic voice continued. "it's weird for the police to join at suicide rescues, right, Mr Kim?"

A correspondent dressed in a black jacket and dress pants appeared on the screen. He holds the microphone close to his chin, looked lost for a second before looking at the right camera and nodding.

"Yes, it's strange for them to join and help so it must be a special case, so, not too long ago, we received anonymous call from a phone booth assuring to have seen the notorious photographer, Jackson Wang, jump off the bridge" The so called Mr Kim replied.

The presenter seemed surprised (again and again), since this news were repeating itself for about half an hour.

"Do we have any information about who anonymously called the our news team?" She said, his head still turned to look at the correspondent shown on the screen behind her.

"No, he didn't have any specific voice, it was spoken with an small voice, it could have been deep or high voice, a man or a woman, a false voice or an actual voice, we only know that the call was short and gave sufficient information for us to come here and watch what is happening" informed the well dressed man.

Seokjin looked at the policeman from his place thrown all over Namjoon.

"Hey" said the model, calling the attention of the younger one, who was chatting with his phone. "does the police have a way to find who called?"

The younger's eyes left his phone, stealing a glance at the comfortable model and the contentedly smiling purple haired man.

"We have" said the dark haired police. "we can search for nearby cameras and compare that person's voice with our data but, as the man said, it was a voice too general and common, so it might be difficult to find" Jungkook phone vibrated and the younger's eyes smiled at whomever he was chatting to. "surely, someone in our department is already searching for records of who called, so don't worry too much!"

The model resumed chatting while Hoseok, who achieved to calm his nervous laugh, was watching attentively the images of the television.

"Hoseok-ssi" said the model, trying to get the dozing boy's attention when he saw his phone silenty ringing, his screen showing ' _boss_ '. "your phone is ringing."

The red-haired daze broke as the boy tried to pick the phone as fast as he could, but unintentionally activating the telephone speaker.

The deep voice of Chanyeol broke the silence of the cozy but tense room, stating:

"We have found a phone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author's note: I like this idea a lot so might actually start another fic with this kind of thematic lol)


	13. 이 전화가 누구야? (Who owns this phone?)

 

Time seemed to pause a little as Hoseok tried to stop the phone from being on Speaker mode, but unfortunately, time also seemed to suddenly accelerate as he couldn't act with enough time. 

"We found a phone near one of the bridge pylons, it's in very poor condition but luckily that pylon's terrain was more elevated and the speed of the flow was not enough to drag it into the vastness of the river length."

Jungkook looked at Hoseok, who looked pale as Seokjin and Namjoon were looking at the phone, eyes wide.

"I hope that this conversation stays confidential between us" told their boss, his voice carrying a 'warning' under tone. "As I know about our youngest infatuation with the victim."

Jungkook ears tinted red as he avoided the model's gaze. He also felt betrayed.

Seokjin, tired of being left in the dark, decided to join in the conversation.

"Aigoo Jungkook-ssi" said while leaving Namjoon's arms, the purple haired man preparing himself from the caos his friend might start while smiling a little at his antics. "You could have said that you were my fan!" Then, he hugged the younger officer and put the younger's head into his chest. "so I can bathe you will all my love and care as a thank you for helping to protect me~"

 

 

 

 

While Jin sat between both policeman and hugged the bunny, said one looked flustered and the other was looking pale at the sudden silence behind his phone. He could feel the seconds advance in a painful kind of way.

Each second hit his lungs, heart and brain. An angry Chanyeol was a fearsome one. He was like a white sky... you look at it, feel cold but have to wait for the snow to start falling.

"Hoseok" chillingly said the head police, voice too cold.

Hoseok gulped, his addam's apple going up and down at the movement of his throat. Jungkook closed his eyes, anticipating the crash while fighting the model's surprisingly strong arms, that kind of hurt him. He felt like a pirate ship between the tentacles of a Kraken. Said Kraken being an angelic and beautiful looking being.

"Did you" resumed the silver haired one.

Hoseok palms started to sweat.

"Forget" dramatically pausing and voice dropping some more decibels.

Hoseok wanted to cry and hysterically laugh again.

"To turn off..."

It was Jungkook time to gulp, as it was impossible to break off the other one's clingy arms (and kind of fanboying internally for being hugged until death for his favourite model) but feeling sorry for his hyung.

"Your phone's speaker" almost there, Hoseok knew about his boss tendency to play with his pray before devouring it.

Chanyeol paused again, his voice was just a sigh, like the icy wind outside their appartment.

"Again, you incompetent piece of -"

And he exploded. Their boss was a heavy force of nature while badmouthing and screaming. Hoseok started to tremble while jumped out of the sofa and he knelt in front of the almost murderous phone, bowing dramatically while excusing himself. His laugh about to escape his trembling lips, too afraid and tense.

Namjoon thought about how ridiculous this situation seemed. A strong and competent security force afraid of a technological device, almost laughing and crying while continuously bowing to a invisible person. A person who seemed calm but was insulting like a machine-gun.

"You shit-eating worm, piece of dirty shoe sole, incompetent dwarf, horse faced waste" and the list repeated and innovated until Namjoon became tired of it, feeling sorry for Hoseok, who was almost dying by the invisible bullets thrown his way.

The red haired man just repeated sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.

So Namjoon, being the (alpha) man he was, launched himself off the sofa and picked the phone up to his ears, so his voice would appear like thunder thanks to the microphone during speaker mode.

"Yo" said the purple haired man. "stop it already, my ears are bleeding because of your pointless rambling."

Hoseok paled again. Stopping at mid bow and looking at his savior, eyes wide and teary.

"Mr Kim-ssi" said their silver haired head police, feeling suddenly calm, almost as if the purple haired voice had some kind of authority power on it. "I didn't know about your presence in Kim Seokjin's house."

Namjoon chuckled, feeling proud of himself.

"I kind of live here more than in my own appartment" replied, even voiced. "mr policeman."

Chanyeol delivered about what kind of route to take. He wanted to punish the red haired one but...

"It was an accident, so leave the poor Hoseok-ssi alone for a while" continued the purple haired producer, nonchalant.

Well, accidents kind of happen... right?

"I will let it slide for today" agreed Chanyeol, who didn't want to fight with Kim Namjoon. It would be a hindrance.

Hoseok sighed, almost all his breath leaving his lungs as his soul seemed to return to his body.

"So" the model joined in their conversation, his voice excited because of the information he was about to learn. "what were you saying about a phone being found?"

Seokjin looked proudly at his friend, who smiled while looking at his feet and left the phone on the couch.

Then, he returned to his place in said sofa, looking expecting at his friend.

Seokjin decides to stay beside Jungkook, who looked almost purple because of the strong grip.

Chanyeol coughed. It was unzeless to hid that information once they know about it.

"As I was saying" resumed, more calm and voice normal bariton. "we found a phone and will start to investigate about his owner, we haven't found a body yet, so we will search all the river length until some evidence is found, until then" he paused. "this two good-for-noth-" he coughed again, picking up the reins. "Agent Jeon Jungkook and Jung Hoseok will stay at your house until we determine that you are out of danger."

Seokjin untangled himself from the bunny smiled one.

"What?" exclaimed the model. "This is not temporary?!"

Hoseok and Jungkook looked at themselves, one biting his bottom lip while the other removed the sweat from the palms of his hands with his pants.

"With your past" empathized the silver haired. "you cannot be left unprotected."

Jin huffed, leaving the place between both agents and returning to his best friend. Who, smiled and showed his beautiful dimples.

"So here's the plan" resumed Chanyeol. "You will prepare a room for both of my man, or they can sleep on the floor, I dont really care" Hoseok and Jungkook looked at themselves, feeling a little bit sad about his boss dropping them like shit. "they will follow you to work, outside, when you go party, meet friends or even, to the bathroom, am I clear enough?"

"Crystal" murmured the model, too tired to deal with it.

"Then, I will keep in contact with you once we find any clues about who is the owner of the phone and what kind of date (if we can recover it) is inside."

With that and to maintain his cool, he cut the call.

Hoseok stood up from the floor and sat back to the sofa, looking embarrased. Flushed and evading their eyes.

Seokjin coughed to call at their attention.

"Does Agent Badmouth treat you like this every day?"

Jungkook shaked his head, his curly hair floating around.

"Nop" replied, getting close to his friend and companion, hugging him to cheer him up. " just when stressed and without his 10 coffees."

Hoseok almost laughed, hugging the maknae back.

"Chanyeol-sunbaenim is a hardworking man" continued the younger. "so he doesn't stop to sleep nor eat until he finds a hint or evidence, this provokes for his nerves to spike and his desire to vent with insults."

Seokjin smiled, looking beautiful and younger.

"His insults are pretty creative..."

Hoseok blushed again; everyone in their department calls him horse because his face is long and chiseled, like a horse's, and because his tireless energy and because he used to bounce around like a horse.

"He is pretty creative but still, Hoseok hyung doesnt deserve to be our boss punch back";murmured the younger, hugging his hyung tightly. "also, I've never seen him stop his diss war until today with RM sshi, you sure are something... hyung."

Namjoon widely smirked, feeling proud of himself.

Jin just returned to cuddle the purple haired producer, trying to relax himself and forget about the news, the suicide and Jackson for a while. He deserved to sleep all night and morning. Yoongi would be so proud of him if he managed to sleep for that long.

Jungkook stopped the television with the controller, tired of the same news repeating itself.

Hoseok was still on the younger's arm, almost asleep. Jungkook felt so proud of it, feeling like some support pillar instead of a useless rookie who still haven't earned the right to his plaque.

They were getting comfy, but as always, like some God wanted to mess with them and fuel fire with drama, the broken mess of Seokjin's phone screen came alive. Behind the cracks, forming a spider web of broken crystal, an email arrived and it said:

 

 

 **From** : bighit entertainment RRHH  
 **To** : ksj_bighitent@models.com  
 **Subject** : emergency meeting

_Dear Kim Seokjin sshi,_

_Our esteemed CEO Bang Si-Hyuk and Secretary Sejin kindly awaits for you to attend to tomorrow's emergency meeting to discuss about our current situation._

_Please, confirm your attendance._

**_Place_ ** _: Bighit Entertainment meeting room n° 23._   
**_Time_ ** _: 09:30_

Cordially,

RRHH department.

 

 

 

Seokjin sighed and huffed.

There goes his desire to sleep all night and morning, being thought from their 33th floor into a free fall just to be run over by a truc. He would have to disscuss about his life to the higher ups, cringing at the upcoming news about the variety program and the unknown people that this is going to bring.

Seokjin sighed, curling into an almost sleepy Namjoon, who still had his arms circling his waist.

He looked at Jungkook, who was staring to fall sleep with his head resting in Hoseok's soft hair.

Seokjin set an alarm at 8:00 am and closed his eyes, willing his house to turn off the lights, their figures illuminated by the citie's buildings, contamination clouds lighted by the hundreds and hundreds of light bulbs of the city.  
  
  


  
  
  
***  
  


 

 

 

Somewhere in Seoul, a boy was selecting his best clothes for an interview, ironing a dress shirt with tiny black and white squares while a black skinny trouser hang from a chair.

He smiled because tomorrow was going to be an amazing day.

He already sensed it.

His smile turned wide, showing his teeth in a boxy smile, his eyes shinning as the television repeating the same news over and over.

_A good day indeed._


	14. Ghost (귀신)

 

Seokjin woke up at 7:30 am and found himself sandwiched between a softly snoring Namjoon and a weird sleeping Jungkook, who had all his legs and arms looking at different cardinal points.

He stood up slowly and soundlessly to not stir the still sleeping policeman and quietly walked to his bedroom, where he undressed to wash himself and start his morning routine.

He looked at the mirror, he still has prominent circles under his eyes but overall, his face looked better than yesterday. He picked his toothbrush, brushed his teeth, brushed his hair and styled it a little while applying some bb cream to hid the purple monstrosity on his face. After that, walked with only his boxers into the dressing room and picked a blue sweater and white skinny pants.

He quietely dressed himself and picked one of his white masks, hanging from a hanger with others that had all kinds of colorings and cute drawings.

After that, he closed the door of the dressing room and headed, tiptoeing, into the kitchen and watched Namjoon and the others still asleep on his long couch.

Namjoon, who was cuddling him, decided to hug a pillow instead of Seokjin's body. Hoseok head was on the younger lap and miraculously, the boy had not yet fallen from the sofa, although it seemed a matter of time since his ass was half falling.

Seokjin headed to the kitchen and quietly opened the kitchen cupboard, looking for some energy bar to take and eat for the road. He picked one with chocolate and nuts, looked to the sleeping boys again and hurried outside of his home, escaping soundlessly and feeling like kid who runaways from his parents.

He closed his eyes, smiled and called for the elevator. He hummed a little bit and looked at his phone broken screen, sending Sejin a message for him to pick him up at home.

As the elevator arrived, he received a response that he was already waiting for him outside of his condo, so the model hurried to take the elevator and almost run outside to a window tinted Hyundai Palisade.

Sejin opened the door for him and the model entered the car, smiling at his secondary manager.

"Hi" saluted the younger. "it's been a while Sejin-ssi"

Sejin smile back from the central rearview mirror.

"Yes, it's been a while since you went to the main office" replied the manager, starting the engine and leaving the condo.

Seokjin hummed and looked outside, watching all kind of people walk around and hurrying to their busy lifes.

He was curious about all the people he meets eyes with, what kind of lives are they having, how many problems and hardships do they survive? Did they also lost someone dear? How did they affront that?

_How do you accept the hollow someone causes in your heart when they go away?_

"Seokjin-ssi" called Sejin, looking again on the mirror to the model. "I'm sorry for your loss."

And Jin bites his lip, trying to stop the overwhelming sad and anxious feelings that started to bloom in his heart.

"There's no evidence..."

Sejin nodded but decides to keep quiet, noticing the change of mood of the model.

Everyone knows that Jin is sensitive and fights all his demons alone, combating them on internal epic battles where either he returns euphoric or shattered for a while.

So the manager decides to change the subject and inform the model about today's upcoming events.

"The plan for today is for you to talk to the staff, they might question your decisions of going to the police and about Jackson..." Sejin eyes looked at him again. "and propose and inform you about a new kind of reality show where you will be starring."

Jin hummed again, trying to keep calm and to hid all the uncomfortable feelings inside of him. Already feeling insecure about it.

Noticing that, the manager decided to just drive and let the model think. He needed to face his fears as that program was happening whatever the model likes it or not.

An uncomfortable silence fell into the vehicle and the model decided to enjoy is as much as he can, still looking at the broken screen for an angry message of Namjoon or the police. After all, he ran away from them.

The car stopped in front of a tall building and Sejin left the car to open the model's door. Once it opened, Jin left the car, bowing to the manager and heading inside the main office.

Before coming in, he closed his eyes, wore his white mask and took some air, willing the insecure and sad Kim Seokjin away and summoning the cheerful and confident model in.

Ten little breath in and outs.

_In._

_Out._

_In._

_Out._

And the model persona absorbed all the bad feelings, relaxing the male once opened his eyes. Eyes that showed none of the dark that were consuming him before.

He pushed the door open and meet the gaze of their security guard, who welcomed him inside and accompanied him to the elevator, where he meet some coworkers who looked at him with pity, muttering dishonest condolences that the model accepted with a nod and a smile.

_Liars, all of them._

They left at different floors while the elevator climbed up until the last floor, where Bang Shi Hyuk awaited for him.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The model left it as the door closed and climbed down to take in some other people to other floors and problems.

Seokjin stared at the door. He felt nervous and his palms were sweating. The secretary welcomed him and vowed, showing her respects and condolences. The model nodded again and thanked her as she called inside with three little and quick 'tock tock'. The door opened and Bang PD appeared, smiling at the male and strolling at him, hugging him and leading the model into his office, where three more man and woman awaited for the model, sitting in a round table.

"Welcome, welcome" welcomed one of them, called Gang Hyowon or Pdogg. "it's been a while since last time we saw you, right?"

The producer looked at Adora, who nodded.

"I'm sorry" apologized the model, bowing at then while his boss guided him into one of the empty seats, his hand on his back.

He took a seat and smiled to the five human beings that ruled his life. The ones that discovered him outside, when he was a nobody with a broken brain and empty and trembling hands.

Adora was the first to put her hand on the models slightly bigger one, squeezing it.

"We all feel sorry for your loss."

Jin wanted to reply for a millionth time that day ' _there isn't any evidence yet_ ', but somehow it seemed hollow if he used that sentence with them.

The  _yet_  was too powerful, too insecure and there were so many incognitas. So he just shrank on himself and looked at his hands, tangled with the young producer.

It was time for the one year older Kwon Do Hyeong to talk, as he stood up from his chair to hug his friend.

"We know that you are having a really hard time right now" he started, huging the model stronger. "but we want for you to success and to turn you into a brighter star, like Jackson wanted."

Bang PD coughed to clear his throat, his eyes starting to tear up a little at his boy almost crying eyes. His full lips were already trembling.

"For that motive alone, we decided to create a survival program where you are going to decide a new photographer, just you alone."

Adora, still caressing his hand, intervened:

"We called six boys, most of them students of photography with many dreams and so motivated to meet you and take the best photos of you, most of them are your fans and are ready to compete with each other to win a place in your team. The youngest has 16 years and is pretty famous in Instagram as a street photographer. Then, there are four famous fansites and the oldest has 24 years."

Shin Donghyuk was the last to talk, referring into what the girl has said:

"We selected them personally and are highly prepared to help you out. We booked a new dorm for you all and we will have many trials for them to compete with each other, most of them will have a thematic and they will have to take the best photo of you. at the same time, you will train with many voice trainers to learn and improve your singing, so you can debut next year."

Seokjin nodded. As he said, his life depended on them and their guiding. He would try really hard to surpass their expectations.

Bang PD nodded, feeling satisfied.

"Once we finish interviewing them, we will start with our survival program. This will also allow for your fans to 'forget' about Jackson's scandal and for you to distract yourself from all of it" said the CEO, stating a fact.

Adora also said:

"I assure you, this is just a bump in the road."

At this, Jin had to counterattack. Feeling offended because of their coldhearted words.

"Did Jackson meant so little to all of you?"

Donghyung shook his head as Do Hyeong sat himself again.

"He meant a lot but decided to jump and let you in trouble, just for that, he deserves to be substituted" said Donghyung.

"He left you a scandal and you have to survive it, we just want to smooth your way with a program that is going go melt your fans (and non fans) hearts" pursued Dohyong.

And Bang Pd decided to continue and cut that conversation, considering that talking about the photographer was leading them into a fight and nowhere.

"The dorm will be ready in a week" he paused and looked at the model, who has his hands in his lap, clawing into his pants. "so you can get ready and start to choose the clothes you want to bring with you into the new dorm."

Adora, seeing that the model was starting to get pale, smiled and said:

"Why don't you go to the coffee machine, prepare yourself and americano while we finish discussing about it, hm?"

The model eagerly nodded, taking off the tears with the sleeve of his blue sweatshirt, being moistened by grayish stains.

He stood up, left the reunion room without looking back and headed into the staff room, which has a nice and big coffee machine that serves one of the best coffees.

He put 1000 won, pushed the button that said 'americano' and crossed his arms, waiting for it to start pouring it into the plastic cup.

Then, he had the most weird experience ever. He felt all the little hairs on his arms to stand up and a chill run down his back.

_He felt a pair of eyes into him._

He suddenly got afraid of turning around, feeling chills in his arms at the same time as goosebumps travelled all his body.

He felt like some God decided to look into his being, feeling his stare even in his bones. Almost like a virus being observed by a scientific, waiting to experiment and extermine it.

' _Ghost, ghost go away_ ' he mentally sang, closing his eyes.

The coffee stopped pouring and the model hurried to take the cup, waiting to leave that room and the uncomfortable feeling of being watched. So he, steeling himself, turned around.

And there was nobody in that door.

So Seokjin, suddenly, believed in ghosts.

Asronished because of that 'afterlife' moment, he started to walk fast and steady to the reunion room, closing the door with too many strength, creating a lot of noise so the five producers turned around, looking questioningly at the model, who just shrug his shoulders and sat himself again, deliberating if to tell them what he just experienced or not.

So he just said:

"I think that I've just meet a ghost."

The five producers looker lost. So the model decides to do what he does best to calm himself (and unfaze the people in that room).

"What's a Ghost's favourite yogurt?"

At that, nobody knew what to say nor why was the model saying a joke in a situation like that. They didn't reply and the model pouted, already feeling the laughter bubble up his torso.

"Boooooberry."

And he laughed, forgetting about the so called ghost while the producers didn't know if they had to laugh or they has to act surprised at the suddenly dad joke attack. So they all looked dumbfounded.

Seokjin laugh thundered and, three rooms on the left:  
  


 _a boy smiled_.

  
  
  
Meanwhile, the model's broken phone started to ring, as someone woke up angry.

 _Oooops_.


	15. Sorry (미안해)

 

 

Seokjin wasn't ready for an anxious Joon, as he began to scream into the phone and deafened his right ear.

_But hey, he ran away, so he totally deserved it._

Seokjin slowly drank his coffee, trying to not scald his tongue while listening to his friends ramblings.

"Are you crazy hyung?" screamed Joonie, his tone too high, almost as if he tried to hit a high note.

The model could hear an engine of a car rumbling and two muffled voices.

"Sorry."

"Don't fffff- say sorry because you left without waking us up! You could have-"

Jin pouted as the other four people in that room (without Bang PD because he left to interview some Rockies) were picking up their things to head outside and interview other people.

So Jin just listened to his friend so he could blow up steam while he heard the others stand from their seats, bide their farewells and the door closing behind them.

"Hyung" Joon started.

"Namjoonah" Seokjin countered.

Both fell silent at the same time, waiting for the other to say something again. The only sound were their breath, Namjoon's labored from all the screaming while Jin silently breathed.

"I can't live my life scared of every shadow and problem that might come at me." started the model. "I know that I have a story, I know that you are worried Joon" his voice was quiet, like a bell being stuck in a soft summer breeze. "but I need to move on and live by myself."

Namjoon became silent at the other side of the call.

"I need to fight my fears by myself and" he paused to clear his throat, as it felt constricted by his nerves. "being protected twenty four hours a day by you and two polices is not going to help me get better."

"But-"

Seokjin sighed, already done with their discussion.

"No buts Joonie" cut the model.

It was Namjoon turn to sigh.

"I know hyung " concedes the purple haired male. "but I need to know that you are okay so I'm coming right now to see you and hug you and then, if you want, talk about your little escape."

The model smiled and nodded his head, his long hair falling into his eyes.

"Okay" replied the model, the shadow of his smile on his voice. "I will wait for you in my company coffeeshop, in my usual place."

_One breath, two breath, three breath._

_A more calmer breath._

Namjoon was now smiling, maybe his dimples showing. He could never get angry for long with him. He loved him too much for that.

"Wait for me and don't disappear ok?"

Seokjin pouted.

"I'm an adult blessed with height and two strong and wide shoulders made for fighting bad guys, right?"

Namjoon laughed a little, surely rolling his eyes.

"Right" RM conceded. "so I hope for you and your thin waist to be stuck in a chair for half an hour until I arrive."

Seokjin huffed. He looked at his waist, hidden underneath an oversized blue sweater. Surely it isn't that small...

"Understood?" said the producer, confidence and authority on his voice.

Seokjin looked at the ceiling, now his turn to roll his eyes.

"I understand, mum."

And Namjoon laughed. But he couldn't avoid adding a thing before cutting the call.

"It's daddy for you!"

The model could feel the wink from the other side of the phone at the overconfidence lacing the other's voice. He could visualize the others deep dimples and his cooky smile, tilted and big on his masculine face.

So the model decided to cut the call, not before saying:

"Okay" he smiled, two could play this game. " ** _daddy_**."

And he cut the call.

On a patrol car driving his way, a purple haired male was left dumbfounded while the model stood up from his seat, coffee mug on his hands and headed to the door.

He opened it and left the now empty room to go down the hall to the elevator. He was looking at the coffee mug, moving his hands on circles to whirl the cafe around when his body hit another body, his shoulders taking the vast majority of the blow and causing his cup to slip from his hands and to fall on top of his blue sweater.

"Sorry~" said a deep voice, sounding sincerely regretful. The model didn't even pay any attention to the culprit.

He screamed because of the scare and then whined for his almost a million won sweater, ruined by the dark liquid. After that, he thanked for it to not be as hot as before or he would be jumping and getting that sweater out of his body and giving to his coworkers a free sight to behold.

After looking at his clothes and the now ruined and broken mug on the floor. After that, he stared at the one who collided into him and blinked.

One time, two times and three times. A million times because he felt like staring a mirage.

He doesn't know for how long he kept staring at the beautiful human being in front of him, but truth to be said, he forgot about his stained sweater, about all the people that were walking beside them and about the doors of the elevator, closing themselves and heading to who knows what floor.

' _This one has the looks to surpass me_ ' he thought, still looking at the male in front of him.

Said boy was looking at him with regret but didn't move from his place. Like the model, the boy was stuck looking at him with what seemed a combo of monolid and double eye-lid eyes, dark, shinny and warm.

His face was unbelievably symmetrical. Almost like if some long forgotten sculptor decided to sculpt the most beautiful masterpiece on this earth and them some Greek god decided to infuse life to it. The most remarkable was his face, unique and so different from the Korean usual ones. His eyebrows were thick and framed his eyes perfectly. His eyelashes were long and could create a hurricane to some other country with just a blink, like the butterfly effect. The most unique part were his moles, as he had a lot beautifully placed on his face: on his lower lip, above his right nostril, and under his right eyelid near his waterline. Then, the models eyes stared at his lips, his upper lip slightly longer and more rounded than his lower lip. His hair was long and parted to a side, platinum blonde.

All combined, made one of the most beautiful faces he has ever seen, and he has seen a lot in foreign fashion-weeks.

The model was awestruck. So astonished that he didn't notice the boy approaching him, his hands (so big) placed his backpack on the front and opened it, searching for something.

The boy hummed and smiled. Jin noticed that his smile was big and square, almost like if he didn't really know how to smile correctly. His face changed, turning boyish and innocent. It made the model smile in return, all his angry feelings disappearing and feeling suddenly care-free.

The boy took a colorful shirt from his backpack, a buttoned shirt with colorful rectangles, some grey, others white, some black and some red. It was different from the plan white one he was wearing.

The boy handed it to him, his smile still adoring his face.

The model stared at the colorful shirt, wondering if to take it or not.

"Here"  said the boy, his voice deep and beautiful, like the rest of him.

The model blinked again and the boy laughed, tilting his head and staring at Jin.

"What?" Seokjin managed to ask, his hands tingling to get the shirt from the other's hand.

"It's my fault for not being careful enough and colliding into you, so here,"he took one of the model's hand and put his shirt into it, then, closed Jin's fingers into it" let me help you change and you can keep this shirt as my honestly very penitent feelings" supplied the boy, smiling again.

Kim Seokjin's hands grabbed the beautiful shirt, looking into his fingers and then, into the others hands, which were touching the coffee stain of the model's shirt. His fingers becoming humid with the liquid and then (how many attacks can the model receive from this young boy????) brought his fingers into his lips.

The boy smiled.

"Americano" murmured while licking his bottom lip and tilting again, to look at the model's big eyes.

The robe was so soft and Jin just couldn't stop caressing it, to feel its texture. His brain was still astounded to such shameful behavior but, surprisingly, he wasn't complaining.

"What's your name?" asked the model, sincerely curious.

The boy smirked and started to walk away.

"Hey! You said that you were going to help me change!" screamed the model, seeing the beautiful male wander off.

The boy turned around, smirking at Jin.

"I've changed my mind~" he mockingly hummed while the elevator doors opened themselves, three woman walking off of it and staring at Jin and his ugly stain.

The boy entered the elevator and stuck his head out of the elevator door, smiling at the model.

"You can return it some other time!"

Said this, the doors closed and Jin, and again, was left dumbstruck, looking at the door and wondering how is possible to meet again when he didn't even know his name.

What he would definitely remember: these warm eyes and deep voice.

Like the prince of the tale of cinderella: he felt like running after him, but decided to head to the bathroom instead, bringing the shirt into his face and inhaling.

The boy smelled like lavender.


	16. Angry Monster (화가난 몬스터)

 

 

Seokjin looked at the mirror, his ruined blue sweater was dropping wet inside the bathroom faucet.

The dark mark of coffee even darker as he tried to clean it with water and soap but miserably failed.

Now, it was totally ruined but he really didn't care about it.

As he got to met someone intriguing.

He still had the boy's deep voice inside his brain, as well as his seemingly honey melted eyes and his cute boxy smile.

 _No-name_  boy. An incredible incognita.

Seokjin looked at the colorful shirt hanging from his big shoulders. It was a little bit the narrow on his back, tight when he carried his arms forward, but comfortable enough and really expensive.

How could a simple rookie afford a luxury high-brand piece of cloth like this?

Seokjin needed a lot of years to even afford a single silk thread of this shirt.

His family didn't have much money as it was a pretty, a stereotypical salaryman and middle class family.

Kim Seokjin had a older brother who owned a restaurant and left their parents home to marry the woman of his life. He opened a restaurant thanks to the model's financial help.

His mother was a housewife and his father a successful salaryman, working at Samsumg and work traveling around a lot. That's why his mother, thanks to his son help, also tended to travel a lot with her friends, sightseeing neighbor countries and following her dream to travel the world.

His mother was a true beauty that succumbed to South Korea's old (but even now, pretty common) stereotype of a ' _a woman has to find a man and marry him so he can maintain her_ '.

Thanks to her beauty, she found a man and married him. Nine month after, his hyung was born. Then, after 18 months, Kim Seokjin was born.

The most beautiful baby to ever be born. Then, like an orchid, that baby grew to become a beautiful child.

So, when Seokjin was a child, he was pretty enough to be scouted for incredibly famous companies like SM Entertainment. But, his mother thought for it to be a scam and refused for him to go to the auction.

Months later, he got scouted again for some independent child clothes brands. Her mother, saw potential and took him to every photoshoot, accompanying him during every step of the way.

With time, he started to become a famous and captured a lot of photographer's hearts.

They said that Kim Seokjin was loved by the camera lens.

Until his abduction.

The policeman said that whoever took him was also a  _photographer_ , probabily someone they've worked together before.

She was a professional one, as she captured Kim Seokjin on his rawest moment: helpless and beautifully displayed. They said, that in the photos, he was surrounded by red, as if she wanted to represent a child inside a placenta, about to be born.

_A seemingly innocent yet creepy photoshoot._

At first, when he first woke up, he didn't remember anything. He was like an empty canvass, white and pure. He didn't remember any woman, nor her name, nor what happened while being abducted.

The police and his doctors were really concerned about it. He didn't remember so they didn't have any proof to incriminate anyone.

She was a mystery.

The photos didn't have any mark nor fingerprints. Also, there was no solid evidende, no trace, not even a hair inside the cabin nor in the surroundings of it. No tire mark nor shoe imprint on the dirt floor.

It was as if the child was alone.

It was as if he had been abducted by a ghost.

Until one summer day, a really humid and hot Korean summer day. The sky was blue (something uncanny in Seoul) and the sun was shinning high. There were some traces of planes splitting its perfectly blue color.

He was getting back home while eating a strawberry icecream to pick his books and head to cram school.

It was normal and quotidian.

This was his everyday routine when mother decided to stop his model career and follow a rehabilitation to recover the pieces of his memory hidden on the darkest parts of his brain.

At first, his long-term memories returned fast. His name, his friends, his likes and dislikes, his home, his childhood, Namjoon, their summers in Busan, his Jjanggu and infinity more of memories from a long time ago.

As for his short-time memories from before that fateful day? None.

So it was quite strange for a young Kim Seokjin to notice a beautiful woman with long and undulate dark hair.

But her blue dress catched his attention.

A chiffon blue dress that floated around due to the mild summer breeze.

Then, he noticed her smile: cold like a winter night.

_Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold._

_Please save me._

24 year's old Kim Seokjin opened his eyes and looked at his face, pale and eyebrows furrowed. His hands trembling from the long forgotten memory.

He collapsed that day. He fainted in front of a woman who could had abducted him again. But, thanks to some neighbor who noticed the preteen falling and acted fast enough to look if he was okay, she escaped again.

From that moment, he remembered the coldness, the emptiness and a woman's voice, cold like the first snow. A blue dress that dreamily floated around. Sudden white lights flashing outside his closed days.

His cries for help and warm.

Then, nothingness.

After that?

Red and blue lights from the police cars, male voices and his mother's voice while caressed his hair.

_Nothing more, nothing less._

A lot of therapy, pills and defeating his fears allowed him to move on.

Allowed him to love himself again after hating the good looks that got himself abducted.

Maybe, if he hadn't been this handsome, he would still be intact. If he hadn't been a model, Jackson would be alive, photographing someone else.

The temperature started to decrease, his past replying itself in his brain, trying to found clues but finding nothing.

He never noticed a shadow behind the closed door of the bathroom. Not until he heard the door open itself, a hand pushing it open.

Something panicked inside the models heart. He could only hear his own heartbeat, his ears deaf at other sounds.

Seokjin body reacted itself, hiding behind the door of a toilet.

He listened for paces get closer to the door.

Paused and almost quiet paces. Feet that dragged themselves on the floor.

_Approaching._

_Approaching._

_Getting even_ _**closer** _ _._

Seokjin closed his eyes, tired of being scared at the shadows. Tired of being a coward. Of his brain confusing him.

_Scared of becoming crazy._

Tired of being so unsure about who is good and who is bad.

He took a pill from his pocket and put it on his mouth, swallowing it without drinking water.

He refused for his mind to play tricks at him.

A man coughed and sneezed. Then?

The paces got away.

Away.

Farther.

He heard an the zipper of pants being lowered and the voice of a man humming while he peed.

False alarm, like with the ghost.

His mind was too obsessed with everyone being an enemy.

_Maybe he was turning crazy for real?_

Then, his phone started to ring.

Seokjin took it.

"Where are you Jin?" said Namjoon, voice tense and angry. "You said that you were going to wait for me at your usual seat."

Seokjin closed his eyes, feeling relief at hearing his bestfriend voice.

"Sorry" almost cried the model. "I've got a problem with a boy who ruined my shirt and now I'm stuck on a toilet because my mind is playing tricks at me and I'm too afraid to leave it."

Namjoon chockes.

"Liar" accused the purple haired male, still angry at his friend betrayal. "Where are you?"

Seokjin took some air as he heard the man finishing, flushing the toilet and cleaning his hands.

"The man's bathroom in the 30th floor" replied Seokjin, as he heard the man leave through the door.

"I'm coming."

"Hurry up" trembled the model, aftereffects of his last ' _panic attack_ '.

Seokjin heard Namjoon breathing as he ran to catch the elevator, the little dings when it stopped and some random conversations through his phone. Seokjin bent his knees to draw them closer to his chest, seeking comfort in himself.

He heard a door.

Then a scream of:

"Jin!"

So the model looked at his friend's shadow coming from under the door of the toilet. He unfolded his legs to out his feet into the ground, pushing open the bathroom door and ran to his friend.

The next thing Namjoon felt was an octopus jumping into him, hugging for his dear life.

Namjoon, felt his angry monster deflating at his friend cute behavior. All his motivating and desire to quarrel and argue with him vanishing to leave protectionism and affection.

So he just hugged him back, putting both of his hands on the model's back to support him better. Carring his hyung's weight on his arms and legs, the older head resting on his shoulders.

A hint of a smile and dimples showed themselves. He loved his bestfriend when he was this needy and dependent of Namjoon.

It made him to feel useful.

"Let's go home " murmured the model, voice small.

Namjoon nodded, carrying his friend through the door and ignoring those who looked at them strangely.

"Let's take you home."

Seokjin was already asleep on his arms.  
  
  
  
  
***  
  
  


 

Meanwhile, seated on a subway, a boy was smiling while getting back home.

The stridently sound of the vehicle soothing his mood and ignoring the other people of the train, mesmerized with his looks and weirdly but fitting smile.

Today, he had the most amazing day: successfully passed an interview, got noticed by his most beloved person and gifted him his scent.

_And an indirect kiss._

Kim Taehyung giggled as he remembered Kim Seokjin flushed state.

The americano taste and the other's lips texture still tingling on his fingers and lingering on his tongue.

_**He truly was the happiest.** _

Now, he had to head home because he had a lot of clothes to pack and photos to edit.

Magnificent photos of the profile of a certain model drinking coffee while turning off a coffee machine.

Smiling at the coffee delicious smell.

How he desired for that smile to belong to him.

 

Then, moments after, the model shivered and looked scared as hell when noticing his foreign presence, hidden but constantly present.

Yet, he wondered.

What would be stronger:

**His fear** **for him** **or his attraction?**

_He already knew the answer._

_He just had to make it real._

At this, Kim Taehyung soundly smirked and startled the young girl seating next to him, who looked intrigued as for why the really handsome man suddenly smiled?

On her ears, a fitting song was sounding:

_You're lovin' on the psychopath sitting next to you_

_You're lovin' on the murderer sitting next to you_

_You'll think: How'd I get here, sitting next to you?_

_But after all I've said, please don't forget_

(Heathens by Twenty One Pilots)

The girl will never know how real the message of that song could be.

Taehyung just closed his eyes, making himself more comfortable as listening to the low sound of the girl's headphones.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_He already missed him._


	17. 사람들이 나를 싫어해 (People hate me)

 

¤  _Flashback_  ¤

 

 

"Daddy" called a eight year's old kid, trying to wake up his dad, who was sleeping deep like a rock.

"Daddy" repeated the kid, even louder.

The kid furrowed his eyebrows and decided to level up his game, climbing the bed up and jumping knees down onto his dad.

Who definitely woked up with a groan, caressing his now very much hurt stomach.

"Tae!" He nagged, taking his son into his arms and placing him by his side, on the empty bed. "You cannot jump into people when they are sleeping, you can hurt them and yourself"

"But I had a nightmare" murmured the little kid. "And you were not waking up"

 

[ _A/N: imagine this_ _cutie_ _being Taehyung okay?]_

 

The little kid called Kim Taehyung pouted, his cheeks pulling out while his eyes, showed nothing at all. His eyes, instead of being a colorful canvas of emotions were empty and dull.

His father looked at his son's eyes.

"What was your nightmare about?" he asked.

Taehyung's eyes lighted up, noticing his father's concern and jumping up and down on his knees on the mattress.

"I was at class and I allowed V to play a little bit, so he pushed Jisoo and she fell through an open window... her face was so hilarious! " he said getting excited, smiling a little bit until noticing his daddy's sad eyes.

He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why can't I hurt them?" Murmured the little boy. "People at school hurt me all the time, it's not fair"

Kim Daesung closed his eyes while taking some air inside his lungs.

"Kids in school are not supposed to hurt people, that's called bullying and you have to fight against it alongside your teachers" Replied the kids father, taking his child into his arms and caressing his soft and dark hair. "We already talked about it"

"V wants to hurt them all" Tae softly said, his soft yet everyday deepening voice giving chills to his father.

"You know that V has to be locked away" He hugged his son more strongly.

Taehyung pouted again yet hugged his father back.

"But I feel sorry for him, he always tell me to let him out to protect me from bad, bad people" Tried to negotiate the child, bitting his lips.

Daesung sighed.

"I know, but you have to let me protect you, not him" Cut the negotiations.

He softly pulled his son away from his body to look at him in the eye.

Taehyung shrug his small shoulders, avoiding his father's eyes.

"What did the doctor tell you?" asked the father, taking his little boy chin into his fingers and pushing it up, so he could look at his son eyes.

Always cold, always empty of any kind of emotion.

"That V has to go" said the little kid, feeling something stir inside of him.

"And?" Asked again.

"That I need to ask for your help when V feels like hurting somebody" he replied.

"And?" asked again.

Taehyung keep quiet.

Kim Daesung placed his hands on both sides of his forehead, pushing his hair away so he could see his eyes well.

"What did the doctor say after that?"asked again, watching his son's eyes, still cold and emotionless.

"That V is a part of my self that is wrong and I have to substitute my hate for people for love for them, to look at the small good things that they do for me instead of all the wrongness" replied the kid, talking way more mature than his age. "But dad, it's hard to search for good things when all they do is to hurt me"

Kim Daesung breath cut as he watched his son with tearful eyes.

"Tae" he began, taking his son back into his arms " People are afraid of what they can't comprehend"

Taehyung nodded. Grabbing his father's pyjama into his small hands.

"So what is the first thing that scared people do?" he continued, caressing his hair.

"They snap and act irrationally" answered Tae.

Taehyung's father smiled.

"And what do you have to do?" asked again, avoiding a yawn.

"Be the rational one" concluded the kid. "Think about what would you do instead of following V's advices"

The father smiled proudly.

"And what would I do with these meanies?"

Taehyung smiled, feeling his eyes start to close. The nightmare after effects starting to disappear on his father comfortable presence.

"Talk to the teachers and talk to you, so you can solve all my problems instead of V" answered Tae, feeling drowsy.

Kim Daesung patted his sons's head, feeling proud.

"Good boy" smiled Kim Daesung.


	18. 지수 (Ji-soo)

 

 

 

Kim Daesung patted Tae's head until the boy fell sleep, feeling his breath on his skin due the open bottoms of his dark pyjama. Observing the ups and downs of his breath in and outs.

Kim Taehyung was one of the most beautiful childs.

So like his mother, who rests in pace because of an accident, two year's ago.

His features were soft and chiseled, hints of a would-be handsome teenager starting to get noticed. Slim lips, cute moles and furrowed eyebrows. His kid was a shorty with scrawny limbs, and it was concerning because Kim Taehyung grows more slowly than his peers.

He was an adorable cutie pie.

Because of that, it was so unnerving to see that apparently innocent and cute little one sharing a body with something dark and unforgiving, living inside of him.

He noticed the so called 'entity' called V when Taehyung started to act differently, most of the time while calling himself that name.

Surely, it was unnerving to watch your son act way mature that his age when he was just four year's old.

Then, when Taehyung was innocent, good and all warm, V was cold, smart and narcissistic.

_They were like_ _the_ _both sides of a coin._

Light and  **darkness**  residing inside of one body.

He was just four year's old when his wife found a journal hidden between Tae's toys. It was a baby blue journal with Doraemon painted on it that made their hair stand on end.

The so called V made a whole entire book about how to hurt and kept people who hurt him and hated him.

_Not kill, but hurt._

Also, it was shocking that a four year's old kid could draw as perfectly detailed as the drawings on that journal. Perfectly made children, perfectly drawn ropes and unbelievable drawn boy who looked like an anime, all beautiful with dark hair and cute smile under the name of 'My prince'.

They found out that Taehyung draw what he thought to be the most beautiful imaginary kid. He cried sometimes to sleep talking about how he wanted his prince to be real and to play with.

So both parents talked and decided to take his son to a psychiatrist.

Well, many psychiatrists. They assured that Taehyung would grow out of it, they said the problem was merely delayed empathy.

But V started to appear more and more. He never hurt anyone but had the potential to do it.

And the bullying started. Kids didn't understand why sweet Taehyung called himself V and made fun of him. Cruel children insults were one of the incentives for the other personality to come to the surface.

So they changed their childs doctor.

Kim Ji-soo. A pediatrician who was also a psychiatrist specialized on narcissism and psychotic tendencies.

There, Kim Daesung discovered that his son met all his cognitive, emotional, and physical milestones. He had no learning disabilities, nor emotional scars, no signs of ADHD or autism. That his son was really smart, even for his age.

_But lacked something._

**_And had too many of other things._ **

His child got diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, two main personalities living on his body.

One, Kim Taehyung was a normal healthy child. The other, called V, was a narcissist who lacked empathy and presumably, a genius.

V had conduct disorder with callous and unemotional traits.  In other words, he had all the characteristics of a budding psychopath.

The family was shocked while his son played around on a table, drawing square houses with no roof, grass gardens and cute pomeranian.

The doctor said that psychopathic traits were normal in small doses. For example, a surgeon dispassion, the tunnel vision of an athlete, the ambitious narcissism of politicians or the capacity of actors to act like them.

Then, she said:

"But when these traits form a wrong combination or appear in extreme forms, they can construct a dangerously antisocial individual, or even a cold-blooded killer" She paused and looked at Taehyung. "Your child has two main personalities and one of them has some of these traits, yet... you can't suppress him"

"What?" Kim Daesung retorted, biting his nails.

"Psychopath are like suppressed water on a reservoir; if you compress it, they might snap and destroy everything" She took a water bottle and squeezed. "If you let it go little by little, you can control it and can avoid many problems and damage".

So the doctor made a treatment: for them to control him.

"He is still a child" Said Ji-soo. "V is learning still, he can mature into a better man"

"How?" asked Tae's mother.

"Narcisist lack empathy until finding their equal, then, they start to feel emotions based on that persona" she replied. "You just have to find Taehyung and equal and something to canalize his emotions" she paused and looked at the beautiful family, yet tragic one. "Also, you will need the help of Taehyung, as the main personality has a big influence on the secondary one"

Both of them blanched.

"You say for us to find him an equal?" They said in unison. "Would he not want to hurt him too?"

The medic shaked his head.

"Both personalities have to have the same equal, if Taehyung doesn't want him hurt, V is going to protect him instead of injure him" she replied again, picking some papers and putting them on a folder. "The question here... what does V like?"

And both parents knew about the answer, having seen all these flowers and cute fluffy teddies perfectly ordered in Taehyung messy bed.

"Taehyung likes beautiful and cute things" They said in unison, looking at each other.

The doctor smiled.

"Then, find him a beautiful human being" stated Ji-soo, eyes watching Taehyung taking a megazine and eyeing the beautiful photos and drawings about kids cartoons and clothes brands. His mouth cutely open and eyes big and smartly observing.

He turned a page and petrified.

His eyes were focused on a page, it had a beautiful photo of a kids clothes brand called 'Dico'.

Taehyung stood from his chair and run to their parents, eyes warm and shinny.

He put both of his hands on his mother's lap and stared at her, praying for her to pick him up into her lap.

Kim Ji Woo took his baby into her arms and sat him on her legs, hugging him.

Taehyung signaled the photo, strangely, the photographed boy resembled his sons drawing of 'his prince'.

"What is it?" Asked Ji Woo, putting her chin into her baby small shoulders.

Taehyung looked at his day, expecting.

"Daddy, what ish it?"

"What is what?" Smiled Daesung, looking at his pouty baby.

The boy signaled the photo again.

"Ah" Daesung understood. "This is a photograph, baby"

Taehyung eyes widely opened.

"How ish thish madwe?" Asked their baby.

Ji Woo smiled as Ji-soo eyes widened, a plan forming into the medic's head.

"It's made by a camera" Replied Tae's mother, caressing his soft baby hair.

Then, Taehyung signaled at the beautiful kid, seemingly older than him, but not much older. Maybe three years older.

"My prince" Tae cutely said, a warm smile into his thin lips.

The doctor smiled, stood up and walked near Taehyung.

"The model is called Jinnie" Read aloud.

Taehyung eyes looked at her movements as she took the megazine (his) and her hands, she ripped the photo from the magazine. She gave the photo to Taehyung, who's eyes were shinning even brightly.

The doctor then looked at his parents, smiling.

"Taehyung-ah, isn't he beautiful?" Asked the doctor, attentively watching the kid.

Then, Taehyung eyes met her eyes and changed, turning cold yet warm.

"He is" Said V, marvelously staring at his and his counterpart's prince. He decided, right then, what would be the answer both of his parents were waiting for, who would be his equal and how would he channel all of his emotions with.

He looked at his dad. It was strange how could a lively and childish kid could turn this serious.

"Dad" said V, not even a hint of childlike voice. "I want to become a photographer"

Ji-soo smiled, satisfied.

A week later, the family bought a kids camera for his son and Ji woo passed away on a car accident.

Years after, Jinnie disappeared from the kids modeling world and mysterious stopped his career. 

Taehyung, who now is ten years old,  bowed to find him.

He and V wanted to go into a quest to find his prince and show him his new camera, so he can take and keep a lot of beautiful photos.

Kim Daesung sighed, as he followed all of the ' _Jinnie'_ _disappearance_ _case_  with nerves palpitating into his skin. Fearing for the so called 'equal of his son' to be dead.

He still cried for his wife, his house full of her photos.

Taehyung got better once they've found Jinnie, always talking about his prince.

Ji-soo (his psychiatrist) proud of him and motivating his child career as a photographer as a way for him to learn to love and all the other emotions that he was lacking.

Days later, an old and crumbled newspaper informed that ' _Kim Seokjin has_ _been_ _found and is alive_ '.

The important thing was that Kim Seokjin was found.

He was safe.

They police had found him.

They still had hope.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


And years later, Taehyung went to live to Seoul and found him, and  _stigma_  was born.

______________________________________


	19. Characters 2

>>  **Kim Daesung**

****

Kim Taehyung's father. He lost his wife in a car accident and had to raise Taehyung (and V) by himself. Both of his sons love him to death.  
  


**Kim Jiwoo**

****

Kim Taehyung's mother. Unfortunately, she died in a traffic accident. Her bed songs had a huge impact on Taehyung. 

**Kim Ji-soo**

****

Doctor specialized in psychiatry. She is one of the best in Seoul, also visits in Busan, if people require her services. She had a big role in Taehyunt and V development and also, might be important in a near future.

 


	20. 조심해 (Watch out)

 

 

Kim Seokjin stared at his small luggage, open and full of underwear and unnecessary clothes.

Then, looked at his big one, full of clothes which he really liked, his favorite jeans, hoodies, and shirts. On top of all of them, neatly folded, lay the colorful shirt of the unknown boy, which he has worn millions of times during that week.

So different from his style, yet so beautiful and fitting. He stared at it and then at the multiple clothes on his bed, wondering what more clothes and possessions could he bring into ' _his new dorm_ '.

Last week paranoia was forgotten already thanks to the pills and Namjoon plus the policeman's company, always with him, like his shadow. He afelt secure with them, already feeling some kind of friendships ties between them.

With just one week, he got to know both of the law enforcers well enough. Jungkook was competitive.

Extremely competitive.

He always wanted to win on all their games. Also, he was quite nice, as he always agreed to play with him as a way to distract his turbulent mind. A bonus, he was really needy and touchy, always near his hyung once he lost the initial embarrassment and gained confidence with the model.

Then Hoseok, truly angelic Hoseok. He discovered that he was one of the best detectives but, he had an inevitable case of hysteria laugh during anxious and tense moments.   
That's why Chanyeol never gave him undercover works.

As for Seokjin? He was still sending messages to Jackson, which he never received and watching the news, although they rarely mentioned him again.

Human beings tend to forget about alien disasters.

Although he was still uncertain about Jackson suicide, didn't fully believe it, but as days went on and on, his mind has started to consider that response as the way to gain closure.

Also, Seokjin had a new habit, which was adding the Mapo Bridge into his running routine as a sign of respect for his friend. His fingertips usually slides through its fence full of positive messages, his steps walking the possible path of his photographer, observing the unforgivable river as it carries liters and liters of water.

He ran there, read most of the positive messages written on the bridge and added some more, just to give strength to other people who are considering to jump to end their lifes.

He has seen many people heading there, reading many of these messages and turning back to their homes. Sometimes, Jin introduced himself to some of them, to talk about their lives, saying whatever came to his mind to make them rethink committing such an act.

He met many anonymous heroes on that bridge, some thinking that Jin also wanted to jump. Ome of them said: "When you feel like leaving it all behind, just remember the reason why you held on for so long"

The reason for Jin holding on for so long was self-love.

Each day was darker without Jackson but, inevitably, a human being always finds a way to go on.

Big Hit continued with their 'reality', which they called ' _the red room_ ', a nod to the photography world's darkroom.

Today they moved to that new dorm. It was conveniently located near Big Hit's building and Seokjin's photo study. It only takes 10 minutes by walk from both of his workplaces to get there.

The model was blankly staring the nothingness when he heard:

"Seokjin-hyung!" called Jungkook, from the kitchen. "Sejin called and said that he will arrive in 5 minutes!"

The model stood up from where he was sitting on the bed and walked to the half-opened door, screaming back:

"Okay! Will be ready in 10!"

Hoseok laughed and Jungkook screamed back:

"Don't you dare!" A small laugh escaped his 'indignant' tone. "You only have three minutes!"

The model pursed his lips together to keep himself from smiling. He crouched in front of the big suitcase of luggage to close it, sitting on top to facilitate the travel of the zipper.

Then, stood up to close the smaller one, adding his favorite Mario plushie inside.

He turns around to look at his room, that will be vacant for a month. His posters, the unmade bed and the presents given by his fans, most of them placed on a shelf and the rest in the attic.

It would be really strange, to live outside his home, getting to know other foreign people.

With both of his luggage closed, he closed the door and heads to the kitchen.

Jungkook and Hoseok were dressed without their uniforms, sitting on the model's comfortable sofa. Hoseok was chatting with someone and Jungkook watching outside his window, mesmerized with his home's breathtaking view.

Seokjin tilted his head in contemplation. Smiling when Jungkook left his daze and his doe eyes met the model. He took his only backpack, which had some basic clothes. Hoseok had a much bigger one, although most of it was empty.

**_Bzzzz._ **

**_Bzzzzz._ **

**_Bzzzzzzz._ **   
  


Seokjin phone vibrated on the front pocket of his pink oversized hoodie. Seokjin assumed it was Sejin.

"Hey, must be Sejin, pick up your things and let's go wait outside" ordered the model, lifting the handles of the suitcase to drag it towards the door.

Both polices took their luggage and followed Seokjin as he types a code in the panel on the entrance, near his front door, activating the alarm and darkening the windows of the whole penthouse.

Hoseok closed the door behind him and the house closed itself, almost like a fortress.

They took the elevator and said their farewells to the security of his building.

Sejin hasn't arrived yet. And it was strange because he called.

'The call was from him,  _Right_?' Seokjin thought while picking his phone from his hoodie's pocket and checking from who was the missed call. 

**_Unknown number._ **   
  


He raised his eyebrows, surprised.

And he had a message from olleh, his phone company.

 

____________________________________  
💜✔🏃‍♂️ 🔇5G 78%  
 **OLLEH** **NOTIFY:**  
 _tue, 20_  
 _Unknown number has left a message at, 12:55 am._  
 _-_  
 _If you want to establish the call now, click on the phone number or call voicemail to listen to the saved message._  
_____________________________________

 

 

Jungkook and Hoseok noticed their hyung and their guarded discomfort. So Jungkook approached him, his eyebrows furrowed and stading at the seemingly innocent message on his phone.

It would be pretty normal. But not for Seokjin. His phone, as a celebrity and for his security, was protected against unknown numbers.

So it was weird.

And a little spooky.

Jungkook nodded at Jin, signaling for him to call to the voicemail. He put his phone on speaker.

At first, the silence was all it could be heard. Just a breath, paused, near the microphone.

Then, some robotic voice started to creepily sing alongside a hair-raising tune: 

A _child walks alone on a street, unaware of the multiple shadows that surround him._

A _boy walks alone on the street, unaware of the shadows that chase him._

A _n adult no longer walks alone._

Kim Seokjin _, distrust everyone and anyone._

Y _ou_ _have_ _been_ ** _warned_**.  
  


Before the call was cut, they heard a macabre laugh.

Even the law enforcers felt his hairs stand on end, looking at each other and feeling like something big was happening behind their backs.

Seokjin couldn't avoid the shiver that ran through his entire body, his eyes were wide open as he stared at his phone, still broken.

Why was he feeling like the main protagonist of a horror movie?

 _You do not have any new message._  
 _Would you desire to listen to your old messages_ again?

"No, thank you" said Seokjin, giving his phone to Jungkook and nervously pacing the street as Hoseok called their police station. "But I've had enough creepy shit for a lifetime"

The model sighed, siting on his big luggage to calm himself as his companions called for help, wanting to meet someone called 'Seo in-guk-.

Seokjin sighed again, resting his head on his hands, elbows on his knees.

Today is also going to be a long day.

"I should have stayed sleeping" silently mumbled the model.  
  
  
  
  


***  
  
  
  
  
  
  


After ten minutes, Sejin arrived into an empty street, except for Gong Yo, the security guard from the model's building, who guarded the luggage of the three.

"Where did they go?" Asked Sejin, looking around and searching for the model.

The securityman shrugged.

"They ordered me to wait for you to give you these" the middle aged man signaled the luggage with his hands. "And they said something about having received a strange call and heading to the police station"

Sejin sighed, foreseeing a tiring day.

He was glad that  _stigma_  and most of Seokjin fansites were heading into a their new dorm, being distracted from another possible scandal of 'Seokjin arrested'.

Well, except two of them, who strangely had to return to their hometowns because of some kind of 'family' problems.

Now, the 'red room' had only four participants.

Less work for Jin.

Less audience for them.

But first, he had calls to make, people to notify and a model to search for.

Then, he would go to Gangnam Police Station to pick their slippery model and then introduce him to his new roommates.

**_What a joy._ **

He couldn't wait for Jin to see the beauties he would be living with.

Sejin already has a ship.

And he hoped for it to sail.

 

  
  
  
  
  
  


***

 

 

 

 

 

Not too far from there, a boy smirked while he opened a door which lead to his new home. He closed his eyes, inhaling smell of paint and new furniture.

He wandered the corridors, opening multiple doors until finding one room of his liking.

A boxy smiled adorned his lips, leaving the suitcase aside and dropping himself into the bed.

"Home sweet home, right,  **V**?"


	21. The dorm (기숙사)

 

 

Kim Seokjin was sitting on the same waiting room as the other day, his hands feeling lost and useless since he didn't have his phone.

He jumped out every time he heard any noise outside but his companions still haven't appeared.

He really didn't want to think about what that person has said but it was inevitable. At least, he was glad of him being in a police station and not outside.

"Trust no one" hummed the model, feeling a shiver through his arms.

Maybe it was a joke, someone thought that it would be fun to prank on a scarely-cat. It surely wasn't fun for him.

Maybe Ellen DeGeneres hired someone in Seoul to scare him off. She really was one to prank a lot of famous people.

He stood up to pace the square room, empty of other people.

He paced.

And paced.

And paced.

Until his mind became empty of bad thoughts, just as his psychologist told him.

Then, heard a door open and someone's paces getting closer to the model's waiting room.

He stopped and attentively gazed at the door, waiting for someone known to appear.

He jumped when he saw Jungkook peeping up through the door, an apologetic smile on his lips.

"Sorry for the wait, hyung" said the younger bunny-cop. "But we needed to make sure you wouldn't be in any danger outside of here" He signaled the room with his arms.

Seokjin shuddered, approaching the said door,  putting his hands inside of his pockets.

"Have you found something?" Asked Jin, as he scrutinized the policeman body language. Looking for any hint or flaw in his calm behavior.

Jungkook shook his head, scratching the back of his neck. The younger one entered and approached Seokjin, getting closer enough for him to whisper in the model's ear.

"We have three possible locations" Jungkook breath hit Seokjin's neck, it was tickling.

"And?" Insisted on the model, putting his hand on his neck to avoid the ticklish sensation.

"Chanyeol-sunbaenim and the others are going to head there and inspect for any kind of weird movements or suspects" informed Jungkook, his eyes gazing at Jin's profile, feeling like the luckiest man alive for being able to be near one of his most loved celebrities.

To be able to get to know him and to live with him was surely a gift from the above.

_His best friend would be so envious._

A grin spread through his lips, his eyes foolishly looking at the beautiful human being in front of him.

He shrugged. 

The beautiful human being who was being harassed or hopefully pranked by some sasaeng.

A scared beautiful human who could panic at any moment, get hurt or abducted.

His companions were still trying to gain anything from the phone they've found, almost two weeks ago, but they still haven't found anything.

The suicide was gaining force among their ranks because of the absence of evidendes.

Not even a photo, not even a text, not a call. Just a black screen that was driving them nuts.

Also, giving a punch to Seo In-guk pride as one of the best hackers in Seoul.

So Jungkook cleared his mind of his fanboyish tendencies and squeezed Seokjin shoulder, taking him by the arm to accompany him to the corridor.

"Sejin is outside, waiting for you" Said Jungkook. "You are going to head first to the new dorm, Hoseok and I will be back once we know something, but remember, you will be safe as long as you remain at home."

Jungkook accompanied him along the corridor, taking him to an anxious Sejin, who stopped pacing once his eyes met Seokjin approaching form.

"You are here" stated the manager, hugging him. "I was worried"

The model smiled, hugging the manager back.

"It's like I live here" Joked Jin, laughing. "They even gave me some food"

Sejin smile widened.

"I even had time to make a joke" said the model. "Want to hear it?"

The model didn't even let him reply as he said:

"What do you call an alligator in a police vest?" Said the model, high pitched tone of voice.

'Why is it that Jin always makes jokes when nervous or scared?' Thought Sejin, warmly smiling while shaking his head. "I don't really know... Tomb Aliraider?"

Seokjin eyes widened in mirth, feeling much better already. Why is it that jokes always brighten his days?

"An investigator" replied the model, exploding in laughter.

It was not really fun but most of the people that were there laughed because of Jin contagious windshield wiper laugh.

The model was still laughing when Sejin accompanied him into the car and closed his passenger door.

Bidding Jungkook goodbye. And hoping for them to find the caller's location.

Seokjin, once calmer, explained about the phone call and the creepy song.

Sejin just shrugged it off.

"I'm sure that  _Jaykeeout_  got your phone number and is trying to scare you" Says the manager, starting the engine and putting the blinker to hit the road. "As it's easy to scare you"

Seokjin pouted.

"It's normal for me to be scared" he countered. "Jackson is gone and I'm feeling on edge"

Sejin removes a hand from the steering wheel to dishevel the model's hair.

"Don't worry too much about it" Sejin adviced, both hands on the wheel. "You've been fine all these years, you are going to be alright"

Seokjin makes his head fall towards the headrest, trying to relax and think about some dad jokes to brighten his mod. Maybe watch some vines.

He put his hand on his hoodie front pocket and sighed.  He notices that his phone is still with Jungkook and Hoseok.

The model pouted again.

Sejin, sensing his dongseng discomfort, decides to say something that is going to cheer the model up.

Although it had to be a surprise and maybe, some dark-haired male is going to cut off his head for saying it ahead of time.

"Suga is coming home" he informs, voice low.

At this, Seokjin raised his head to look at him. The words stuck and he grinned at him brightly, the smile reaching his almond eyes and making some crinkles appear at the edges of his eyes.

He did some victory dance, laughing.

Sejin smiled, feeling better.

Twenty minutes later, they reached a lonely and small white building. It had three floors and the superior one was just a small attic due to the strange shape of the roof. It was cozy and convenient.

Seokjin gazed at the building that was going to become his house for a month, even more. Where he is going to share with other people and be filmed 24/7. The building is going to become a source of entertainment for many people.

  
Sejin parked their car in a small outdoor parking formed by a hole underneath the house, next to the entrance.

Seokjin left the car and opened its trunk. He took his two suitcases and put them on the floor. Then, he gave the other two bags to Sejin.

Sejin took them and accompanied the model to the main door, typing the security code to open the door.

"It's easy, 345876, up from three and down from 8" he typed said numbers and opened the door.

The entrance hall looks long, doors on each side, a staircase that leads to an upper floor and what looks like a dining room at the end of the hall.

It looked like a normal house except for the many cameras installed in most angles of the said hall. The light was still red, so most of these cameras were still turned off.

It looked like nobody was home.

The silence was all that could be heard.

So they walked down the hall to said dining room. It looked spacious and bright, many windows on each wall.  It also had two cameras, one focused on the kitchenette and the other to the living room.

Sejin smiled, watching the model to take in his new home. He knew that BigHit was rushing things with this reality show, it being so close to such traumatizing event, but he also thought that it might be a distraction for the model.

A chance to get to know new people and enjoy himself.

 

🎶

_I'm a born hater._

_🎵_

_Dali Van Picasso?_

_🎵_

_I'm Velazquez, Millet, el fuckin Greco._

_🎶_

 

 

Sejin rapidly took the call, apologizing to the model.

"Yoboseyo?" Said Sejin, his voice turning soft and warm. "Yes Bang PD-nim, I brought Kim Seokjin to his new home" He paused. "Oh, yes, I know, but we encountered an unexpected situation and had to go to the police station" He coughed. "No, nothing too serious, hopefully just a prank"

Seokjin furrowed his eyebrows, wandering through the kitchen. 

"No, we are alone" said the manager. "Oh, do you need me right now?" He looked at the model, looking fine and well distracted.  "Oh, they've already arrived?"

Hearing that, Jin looked at his manager, his smile widening.

"Ohhhh, then I will head to  _you-know-where_  right now" Sejin took his car's key from the pocket of his dark jeans. "Okay, yes, I will personally inform you about it, do not worry, ne, ne, Bang PD-nim, thank yor calling"

He cut the call and Seokjin ran to where his manager was standing.

"Epil High, huh?" He said, knowing about Sejin love for Beenzino.

Sejin blushed.

"Well, you already heard, so I have to go and pick  _you-know-who_ " The manager retorted, looking at the model.

Seokjin beamed, his million won smile showing itself. All soft and squeezable cheeks appearing.

"Can't I tag along?" He blurts, wanting to go so bad. " or you have to face  _he who must not be named_  alone?"

Sejin shook his head.

"You know that you can't, you don't even know that he is coming, remember?"

Seokjin pouted, full lips trembling a little bit.

"Let me be your Ron Weasley and accio him together" Seokjin gave him a kicked puppy look.

Sejin sighed again.

"No, I have to face him alone, so just choose a room and start unpacking"  Sejin ordered, already tired of Harry Potter.

He stared at the model, noticing the little crinkles at the edges of his eyes.

"Don't leave this house until Jungkook or Hoseok returns and-" Sejin vacillated. "If some of the participants get home, please get to know them well" advised, already retreating to the door and leaving Jin standing on the living room.

The model smile widened, bidding him goodbye with his hands.

"Drive safely, manager-ssi!" He shouted. "and hug them for me!"

Sejin ignored him, opening the door and closing it.

At least, he almost forgot about that creepy song. For now.

 

And Seokjin was left alone.

_Or not?_   
  


  
  
***  
  
  
  
  


_Not far from there, finally just a few meters apart._

_A boy smiled._

_Finally alone._

_Now it was time to decide: who went first?_

_Taehyung... (who has already met him once)_

_or V?_


	22. 다시 만나요 (We met again)

 

 

Feeling like Alice in Wonderland, Jin just decided to explore.

He walked to the kitchenette, opening it's many compartments and noticing all the junk food that they contained.

He pinched his nose, fighting an urge to eat until there's nothing left.

As a last resort and to distract his gluttonous brain from all that food, he walked to the sofa, sitting on it and moaning when it sunk with his weight, so comfortable and cozy.

From there; he noticed some pictures hanging from the walls, but the vast majority empty frames.

He stood up, his butt already missing the comfy couch and approached them. He notices that instead of names, there were numbers written on each of these frames.

1

2

3

4

Then, two empty nails nailed to the wall with no frame hanging.

Supposedly, there were 6 participants? Why are two of them gone? Had something happened already?

"How weird" murmured the model, deciding to ignore those frames for now and looking at both of his suitcases, waiting for him to unpack.

The model approached and took them, with difficulty because of their weight, he climbed up the stairs to the first floor. Another empty hall with many cameras on it.

He kind of felt like in a prison.

Sincerely, it was a little weird to be filmed from almost every angle.

Anytime.

He counted the doors and noticed another staircase at the end of the hall. He wondered about where it might lead.

He shook his head, leaving these toughts for after unpacking his clothes and getting acquainted with his bed.  ** _Closely acquainted._**

He started to walk through the hallway, opening the first door on the right. It a pale yellow room with an individual bed in front of the window.  He closed that door and moved to next to it, opening another room, identical but with a different color, as the walls were painted green.

Seokjin hummed while closing that door. Not really feeling greenish.

He walked some more until he approached the next one. Surprisingly, the door was half closed.

Just a little crack.

' _Strange_ ' he thought, seeing as it was not closed like the others.

He pushed it open, curious. 

_Some said curiosity killed the cat._

His big suitcase almost fell because of his shock, his hands losing their strength.

But on his case, curiosity, instead of killing the cat, made him hyperactive. 

His eyes were big and fixed on the figure laying down on a bed, feeling unable to move.

Because he was not alone.

There was a boy, laying down on his bed with only a bathrobe. Just a thin and pure white cloth covering his body. Teasingly falling on that body to cover most of his private parts but leaving others on plain view.

Although Jin could only see his profile, it was the  _ **americano**_  boy.

A now  _blonde_  boy. 

Kim Seokjin gulped as he let his eyes drink in the sight displayed in front of him.

His long legs were parted but, the bathrobe prevented Jin to watch what lied underneath.

He had his eyes closed, seemingly sleeping. His breath was quiet and profound, as he must be in a deep sleep.

So Seokjin, feeling confident with the other's obliviousness, stared at the movements caused by his breathing.

The up and downs of his chest, the bathrobe opening itself with each movement of his breath. His head tilting back and falling cheek down into the pillow. The subtle movement of his fingers as he... dragged them sinfully through his body and then, tapped them? 

' _What the-_ '

His eyes suddenly opened.

Dark and seductive eyes staring up at him marked by clear and beautiful brow bones. An 'i caught you' intention them, teasingly following the model's gaze, still, on his hands, that lied on his thighs.

_That's how the cat was killed by mortification._

Taehyung lips formed a sinful smirk while his eyes shone brighter, seemingly absorbing the model's soul as he stared and stared and stared, eyes clear of any emotion except for fun.

He was like a  ** _dementor_**.

"We meet again" he teased, looking at him up through his lashes. Although Jin was far away, he could notice his long lashes, as they cast shadows on his cheekbones.

Seokjin gulped. A need to flee arose but he was unable to move.

"Although I still haven't introduced myself" He lifted his back from the bed, sitting with both legs on the floor. The movement revealed the boy's chest. Toned. Tanned. Perfect.

 

       

Seokjin was frozen on that door, staring wide-eyed while the mysterious boy stood up and approached him. A slight close-lipped smile adorning his thin lips. His movements fluid and slow, almost as if he was strutting.

'Is this what youngsters call swag?' the model thought as he panicked. 'Wait, why is he approaching-'

"What are you?" Tried to tease the model, feeling really insecure in front of the other's gaze. "A Turkey?"

The boy smiled, capturing Jin's stare.

"That's not the real question here" Replied the mysterious boy. "Ask what you really wanted to ask, since you have been shamelessly staring at-"

Kim Seokjin gulped. Lost of words. This 'boy' had a different presence than before, more intense, less restrained.

"I didn't stare" he retorted, yet, his blush decreased credibility to his argument.

"Oh" He replied, momentarily biting his lips. "You can watch as much as you want..." His tongue moistened his lips. "I don't really mind having your attention all to myself"

 

The boy gaze went down, now, looking at Seokjin up and down.

He started to feel offended. Why the hell was this boy disrespecting him with such ease? 

Seokjin, pickings up his pride, turned around to leave him standing there.

He and his disrespect.

'After all, the only man on this earth that had beauty and attitude is himself ' He thought, smirking.

But, a hand prevented him from leaving. The other's fingers caressing his left arm, sending chills.

"Ask me" ordered the other.

Seokjin furrowed his eyebrows and tilting his head.

"Ask you what?" He asked back, really didn't want to ask 'that', although dying to know 'it'.

The boy clenched his hands above his head, staring intently at the model.

"My name" He commanded, raising his eyebrow.

Seokjin heart fluttered. Bastard.

"I don't really need your name" insisted the model, trying to get away from the other's firm grip. His pride preventing himself from giving in.

The boy smiled, having the model right where he wanted him.

"Sejin would be so sad" he drags the words, sounding almost defeated. "For you to hate me already, one of your gonna be photographers..."

His eyes seemed teary.

'What the-'

"What would Bang PD-nim say?" He sighed. "For you to disregard me with such hate after looking at me and my innocent body like that... as if..." he seemed to think about the right word, his eyes, before teary, turning entertained. "as if I was the soju to your alcoholism, your steak when you are most hungry..."

Seokjin glowered.

"Okay, what's your name?" He placated, didn't really know it this boy would be capable of telling him off to his boss.

How many lies could this snake hiss?

The boy's eyes became warm. His fingertips traveling from up his arms into his chest, sliding through the model hoodie and pushing him into-

"Good boy" He said, looking at him with such force that the model's legs almost failed him. Yet, made him lost his balance.

Seokjin went through the door frame because of his push, almost collapsing with his suitcases.

"V" he continued, taking the door handle and smirking at the model confused eyes.

Then, with a smirk, he closed the door with a loud  **bang**.

And Seokjin noticed that he still didn't know his name.

"Yah!" He screamed, feeling a deja-vu from the other day, although the aura was different. "That's not your name!"

And silence was the only answer.

Jin glared at the door.

Wondering if to go inside or not. But, he decided to retreat.

_Like a good hyung._

Giving the other his space so he could rethink about his disrespect. His bad attitude toward his 'going to be' employer. His blatant eye-fuck-

oKAY, maybe he stared a little bit too much while the boy was "asleep". But he really didn't deserve to get played like that. After all, it wasn't the model fault to have found the boy who had left such a first impression, almost naked, lying on a bed.

Seokjin sighed, taking his suitcase handle and searching heading to the farthest door, opening it and closed it behind him.

After all, the cat didn't want to die again because of his curiosity.

Maybe, later. 

 


	23. 다시 함께 (together, again)

 

Kim Seokjin was snuggling on his going to be the bed for some months, his clothes already on his wardrobe.

His long legs were hanging out from the bed. Fingers tapping and his brain running fast with many thoughts.

' _What was he trying to see_   _ **before**_?' He asked himself, feeling himself blush. He still had flashes of the supposedly called V body etched on his mind.

Seokjin was a professional. He never really felt attracted to anyone, not to other supermodels nor his companions nor friends.

Some said it was the forgotten trauma from back then, but Kim Seokjin thinks otherwise.

Kim Seokjin was just in love with the concept of love.

Except that his idea of love was different from other people's conceptions.

He thought that most people's idea of love was  _ **hypocritical**_.

That people had the idea of love idolized, the beauty of butterflies flying like crazy on their stomachs, the sweaty palms while you wait for him/her to appear, the feeling of wanting to touch these bodies with their aching fingertips, the breathtaking feeling of getting lost in all their valleys and curves.

But, once said idolized loves run out and disappear, once the problems start to afloat and the fights become more common, once bodies age and sickness approach, said love seems to disappear.

_Most people were not made to endure the hardships of falling and remain in love._

Just a minimal part on this earth population endured said turbulent yet beautiful growth process of loving.

As for Jin?

Kim Seokjin thinks that love is  ** _everlasting_**.

_What is love if not acceptance of the other, no matter what that is?_

Even if it hurts sometimes, even if bodies age and personalities change, love is an ever-changing form of growth. What he really didn't respect was abuse and disrespect, as a victim of abuse himself.

He still didn't find that somebody to fall in love with. That person whom he wants to love unconditionally, as some would say, to death takes them apart.

He is still waiting for those feelings of emotional instability caused by falling in love. The bouncing between exhilaration, euphoria, increased energy, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, trembling, a racing heart and accelerated breathing, as well as anxiety, panic, and feelings of despair.

He was ignorant with said feelings, as he never has fallen in love.

Yet, he learnt to love himself unconditionally instead of someone else.

So why is he feeling like a fly caught in a spider's web since the first meeting with that  _americano boy_?

Was it his straightforwardness? Was it his eyes, so piercing and unforgivable? Was it his way of talking to Jin as if he was not a worldwide famous model?

Was it that he seemed to talk to Kim Seokjin instead of Jin?

It was confusing and so, so, unsettling. So as he always dealt with uncomfortable things, he decided to ignore it and save it in some hidden compartment of his brain.

So, 'V' is going to remain just a ' _ **photographer**_ '.

So, he is going to ignore it all. Said symptoms of unsettled heart and running miles per hour brain.

_At least, he would try._

It was almost five o'clock when Kim Seokjin fell to sleep, unwavering heart clinging into an ironed decision.

 

 

***

 

 

An alarm situated on his bed table sounded at 18:00. Yet, someone was running through the halls, anticipation tunning thought his veins.

"Jinnieeeeeeeee!" It was the only warning the model had before feeling a weight falling on his body. Hard.

He almost choked as he felt the now Min Jimin fall on him, crushing his diaphragm.

Although Kim Seokjin just hugged him harder, taking in his friends on his arms and also crushing him in a bear hug. Taking in Jimin's floral scent.

"I missed you so much" breathed Kim Seokjin, relishing in Jimin's warmth.

The model felt Jimin smile on the sensitive skin of his neck.

"Me too Jinnie" He replied, hugging Seokjin even harder. "You could have come to Bali, we would have had so much fun together, drinking cocktails and swimming together on its beautiful azure ocean"

Seokjin pouted.

"I hope, yet Yoongi would have-"

"I would have killed you for trying to steal my husband" a deep voice sounded from the door, a dark-haired and glasses wearing Min Yoongi stood, leaning against the door frame. His eyes fixed on Jimin ad he said: "I don't feel like sharing you anytime soon with this good for nothing piece of beautiful meat"

Kim Seokjin squealed, ignoring his best friend savage comment and untangling himself from Jimin and running into Yoongi, but, hugging air as the manager dodged his suddenness.

He crashed into the wall and turning around pouting.

Min Yoongi had a smirk on his lips, feeling proud of his job well done.

"Jin you traitor!" Jimin screamed from the bed, sitting himself up. "You always cheat on me with my own husband"

Yoongi cringed.

Jin felt like crying, gazing at both of his friends, Jimin walking to Yoongi and at their tangled fingers together.

"I missed you so much guys" sighed the model, crinkled eyes and nose.

Both of them noticed Yoongi softened factions as him and Jimin walked and hugged the model in a double hug. Maybe just maybe, Yoongi's eyes teared up while happiness tears fell down Jimin cheeks.

Seokjin took their warm in and felt relished and happy. Feeling like a cat napping under the sun.

_Happily reunited again._

After their heartfelt moment, the three of them sat on the model's small bed and Seokjin updated them.

Jimin face paled. Jackson was one of his most loved friends, having worked together with the model. Jimin as his stylist and Jackson as his photographer.

Yoongi kept silent, hearing the model's version instead of the make-up version of their company.

They listened about Jackson message, his supposed suicide, his unfound body and about 'how cute' the policemen were.

Jimin and Yoongi's eyebrows rose up when they heard about the creepy call of this morning.

"Do you remember the warning?" Asked the manager, raising his glasses with his finger.

The model nodded and preppared to sing, clearing his throat.

 

🎶

_Knock_

_knock_ _**knock knock** _ _knock_

_Knock knock_

🎶

 

It was their password.

Three necks are turned to see the door open and see Namjoon enter with a smile from ear to ear.

Jimin stood up to run and jump to hug the producer.

"Hi," said the rapper, returning the hug. "Sejin told me that you all were entrenched in Jin-hyung's room"

They all felt warm, their gang reunited and whole again.

Once Jimin got tired of hugging him, he returned to their bed, too small to have four adult man sitting on it.

He back-hugged his husband while the manager smiled and nodded to Namjoon.

"Okay" Namjoon sat down beside Jin. "What happened?" He asked, looking at Jin with worried eyes.

The model repeated what he just explained. Then, he started to sing, low yet beautiful voice. The words that left his throat contrasting with his beautuful but, untrained voice.

"A _child walks alone on a street, unaware of the multiple shadows that surround him._

A _boy walks alone on the street, unaware of the shadows that chase him._

A _n adult no longer walks alone._

Kim Seokjin _, distrust everyone, and anyone._

Y _ou have been_ _ **warned**_."

They felt differently about the possible meaning behind those song lyrics.

Jimin felt a chill through his body, worrying for his hyung.

Namjoon felt anxiety, as it talked about Seokjin past and not many people knew about it, as little Jinnie was not known to be the same as Jin.

Yoongi? Yoongi felt like painfully killing whoever was threatening his friend.

Yet, they all had the same question running through their minds:

_When did Kim Seokjin life become a horror story?_

At least, they were glad to be together again.

At least now, they could watch out for Kim Seokjin back.

 ** _Together_**.


	24. 왕잭슨의 감정 (Jackson's feelings)

  
They all keep quiet, wondering about what kind of message could be hidden in those sentences.

Namjoon, smart as always, said:

"Whoever sang that to you knows about your story"

Seokjin nodded.

Namjoom scratched his neck, wondering.

"The first and second paragraph talks about your past when you got abducted" He explained. "The third and forth talks about you, right now, warning you that you are being followed and stalked" He narrowed his eyes. "And the last one is a warning, yet maybe is trying to rile you up with anxiety, as it says 'distrust everyone and anyone'"  
Jimin furrowed his eyebrows.

"It's like he wants to scare you instead of warning you"

Seokjin nodded.

"What did the police say?" Yoongi asked, taking the model's hand into his.

The model stroked his neck.

"They still have to talk to me about it" the model replied. "Jungkook said that they were going to check out three possible locations where that message was sent"

Yoongi clenched the model's hand.

"So, Jackson disappeared, supposedly committed suicide and his phone was found out in the Han river, seemingly useless" Jimin resumed. "No body, no hints"

Seokjin nodded.

"Something smells fishy," Jimin says and the other three agreed.

"I don't really understand why someone wants to scare me now when I've been fine all these years" sighed the model.

Yoongi caressed Jin's hand again, while Namjoon took the other.

"It's like someone snapped," Namjoon said. "Maybe someone became anxious because of something that recently happened to you and decided to act on it"

Seokjin tilted his head, wondering.

"But nothing happened to me" The model replied. "I had the same photo shoots, met the same people, ate the same food, walked the same routes"

Namjoon bit his lips.

"Yet, Jackson felt stalked" The producer replied. "And finally ended up 'committing suicide', but nobody knows why nor noticed any change in his emotional state"

Jimin nodded, scratching his chin.

"I have an idea" He started, his eyes searching for Seokjin's. "Hyung, think about it: did something happen between Jackson and you? Something different?"

Seokjin tilted his head, wondering.

Everything seemed fine. They exchanged messages like always, talked about the same things, ate together after photo shoots... until that day, about a month ago.

______________________________________

¤  **Flashback**  ¤

 _1 month ago_ , Kim Seokjin's Studio.

Seokjin was changing behind his beautiful Japanese room divider. He heard Jackson's while he cleaned his camera's lenses, sitting in his habitual spot on the couch.

"Hey, Jin", called the photographer.

Seokjin hummed. "Hmm?" Changing his expensive Gucci silk shirt for a greenish oversized t-shirt.

"I would like to talk with you after our upcoming LG photo shoot" replied Jackson, his blonde locks falling on his forehead.

Seokjin hummed again, lowering his leather pants to change them for some dark jeans. He shivered when he felt the chilly air of his studio on his legs.

"About what?" He answered, blowing some air to push aside a lock of hair out of his eyes.

Jackson hummed, leaving the lens next to him on the couch. His eyes wandering watching the graceful figure reflected on a mirror.

"Just about our future together and boring emotional stuff" He replied.

Seokjin face poked out, looking at Jackson, clutching the zipper of his trousers.

"Why after the photo shoot and not now?" He asked, amused.

Jackson smiled.

"I'm still not mentally prepared to talk about it" He replied and laughed. "It's the kind of talk that needs time to mentally prepare the right words to say"

Seokjin shrugs his shoulders, picking the expensive clothes and walking to a wardrobe to hang them.

"Now, I'm afraid" the model joked, hanging their expensive clothes and closing the wardrobe.

"Don't be" Jackson smiled. "After all, I wanted to tell you about it sooner but couldn't do it"

"Hm," the model said, feeling confused. "You are not going to leave me, right? I feel like you want to say goodbye"

Jackson stood up from the couch.

"Never" He stated, eyes fixed on the model figure as he took his jacket and wore it. "After all, we have a contract that ties us together for many years to come"

The model smiled, eyes warm as he wore a baby blue denim jacket. He wanted to change the subject, hating the photographer's sad look on his eyes.

"Ready to have dinner in our favorite Kimbab Paradise restaurant?" Asked Jin, approaching the door. "I crave for tuna kimbab and rabokki"

Jackson smiled as he stood up from the couch and hugged the model shoulders with one arm. Walking side to side to the exit door.

A door closed behind them, leaving the room in total darkness, only the dim lights of neighbor building filtrated through the curtains.

And, If somebody looked closely enough, they could have seen the shadow of a figure darkening the curtain.

Somebody heard their conversation.

And he wasn't happy about it.

_Anything at all._

**¤ end of the flashback ¤**

"Jackson wanted to talk to me after LG photoshoot" the model replied. "It felt like a farewell, so I used to joke about it with him"

Namjoon furrowed his eyebrows. He already thought that he knew what Jackson wanted to talk about.

He always noticed when other people had feelings for his best friend. People who weren't brave enough to confess their feelings, just like him. He stared at their joined hands, feeling a pang on his heart.

Namjoon always wondered who is going to be the first human being unafraid of confessing to the model.

_The one who is going to win his heart._

_"_ Did he tell you about it?" Asked Jimin, his hands massaging his hyung's shoulders to diminish some tension.

The model shook his head.

"Emotional stuff" Jin replied, biting his lips. "We didn't have the chance to talk about it"

They all hummed. Jimin wondering about what kind of relations could it have with what happened with Jackson, with the creepy song and Jin's threatened wellbeing.

"When did Jackson's stalker appear?" Yoongi asked, feeling curious about it. Jimin eyed his husband furrowed nose, so cute and tiny.

Seokjin thought about it, crossing his legs up in Namjoon's.

"More or less after that day" replied the model, feeling Namjoon's hands on his knees, squeezing down to tickle him. The model hit him. Hard enough for the PD to curse him while laughing.

"Maybe someone heard about it and decided to stop that conversation from happening" Yoongi hinted, bringing Jimin's head into his chest. Patting his husband's hair like a baby dog.

"But why?" Asked Jin, confused.

Namjoon hummed while nodding.

"It's strange that it started after Jackson decided to talk about it," He said, his eyes looking at the model's confused ones.

"Decide to talk about what?" He asked, tilting his head.

Yoongi and Namjoon looked at each other.

"Why those faces?" Asked the model, trying to remove his legs from Namjoon but without being able to do so. Namjoon stopped him.

They kept quiet, having a small telepathic conversation. Jimin got tired of it. After all, almost all the staff from the studio knew about the photographer's crush with the model.

"Jackson was in love with you," Jimin said, earning a glare from his husband and friend.

Seokjin looked at him wide-eyed but ended up laughing.

"Don't joke about this kind of thing, Jimin"

Jimin looked hurt.

"It's not my fault that you were too dense to notice it" he retorted, offended.

Jin narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not dense"

Jimin almost laughed, coughing.

"Please, you won't even notice someone having feelings for you, even if he sat next to you with hearts on his eyes," Said the stylist.

Seokjin bit his tongue, feeling irritated.

"Of course I would notice it if somebody had feelings for me and was sitting next to me, I'm not an idiot"

Everyone in that room looked at Namjoon, who blushed. Luckily for him, Seokjin was too busy to notice it.

After all, he was their 'dense and blind from all kind of love-related feelings' best friend.

Kim Seokjin was too focused on 'what is love supposed to feel like' to feel it himself.

Jimin just laughed, feeling sorry for Namjoon. His forever biggest fan and friend zoned buddy.

Yoongi, tired of Seokjin buzzing, decided to intervene.

"So tiresome," He said, feeling like wanting to tap a nap.

Kim Seokjin narrowed his eyes and looked at his manager. But, stopped from trying to stand up, letting Namjoon pet his legs like if they were a dog.

"Don't be mean, I started it after all?" said Jimin, crescent eyes, and pouty smile. Yoongi almost forgot that they weren't alone. Almost.

Namjoon, wanting to change their subject from Seokjin and his suitors to what really mattered:

"So, whoever stalker Jackson wanted to prevent that meaningful talk from happening"

Jimin nodded.

"Now we must search for what caused Jackson's death, the culprit and the caller, who hopefully are going to be one and the same"

Yoongi yawned, turning his face to the door, trying to avoid others seeing his face.

Then, he noticed the half-closed door and someone's shadow behind it.


	25. 혼란스러운 사람 (Someone confusing)

 

 

 

Seokjin was surprised when Yoongi suddenly stood up and ran to the door, opening it fast and wide with so much strength that it crashed against the wall.

Behind it stood the  _americano boy,_ eyes wide while he jumped back to avoid the door, looking surprised at the suddenness of his manager action. As if his legs couldn't stand his weight, he hit the hall's wall and let himself slide down until he completely sat on the floor.

"Who are you?" Asked the bespectacled manager, voice cold and chilling. "And why were you listening behind a closed door to something private?"

The young and beautiful boy was staring at them with an 'almost tearful eyes' and a little pout in his thin lips.

He seriously looked like a kicked puppy.

"W-why? I just got here when you opened that door" He answered, with a tiny and sad voice. "Sejin-ssi has asked me to warn you that the rest of the contestants have arrived and are currently downstairs, waiting for all of you"

Yoongi furrowed his eyebrows, staring unwaveringly at the boy. He looked so guiltless and tiny, although his considerable height and long legs.

Maybe his sixth sense failed him when it sensed someone suspicious listening to their conversation.

Maybe he was too focused on what they were talking about that his brain thought that this harmless kid could spy on them.

Please, he looked like a puppy.

Kim Namjoon was the first one to stand up and approach Yoongi and the boy, hiding him from Seokjin's sight.

"You are Kim Taehyung-ssi, right?" Asked the producer, smiling kindly at the boy. "I remember our interview together, thank you for coming to warn us" Namjoon hanged his arm on the manager's shoulders, trying to erase the awkwardness. "I hope that this one hasn't scared you too badly"

Jimin was the next one to stand up and back-hug his husband, moving the producer's arm aside.

"Aigoo sugar~ "he smiled as Yoongi hugs him back and lets his forehead rest in the crook of Jimin's neck."Now I see why our coworkers are afraid of you" He scolded, hanging from his arm. "Please, apologize to the young man at once"

Meanwhile, Seokjin was screaming inside.

He finally got to know his name.

_Kim Taehyung_

_Taehyung-ssi_

_Taehyung-ah_

He no longer had to call him 'the boy' nor 'americano boy' nor that stupid alias of 'V'.

It was a little frustrating that he hasn't gotten his name by his mouth, but by others. Yet, he also stood up, walking to Namjoon and leaning his chin on his friend's shoulder, to smirk at Kim Taehyung, who was still sitting on the floor. Looking harmless and innocent, scratching the back of his neck while looking widely at Yoongi.

He looked different. His hair was styled differently from before, his fringe falling on his forehead, hiding his forehead when, before, he had it disheveled perfectly, showing some of it.

But the most confusing thing about the boy in front of him, really, really different, was the ' _boyish_ ' and shy smile, boxy and so,  _so cute_. It made him look younger, almost childlike.

It deformed his beautiful and seductive face into something different from what the model has seen until now: crescent eyes, a square smile that showed his pearly teeth and smiley lines of expression.

The model couldn't help but smile while watching him stand up, caressing his bum to clean some trace of dirt that may have adhered to his pants.

Yoongi turned to the model.

"We will continue our little chat later" He declared, taking Jimin hand into his one and starting to walk through the hall.

Jimin giggled and let himself be taken to understairs, feeling much better than before, Taehyung sudden interruption and presence loosened his mod.

Namjoon just looked at the model, hints of his dimples barely visible but that made his face cuter. The producer held his hand to the model to be supportive, as he knew the model discomfort when dealing with new people. He had his back to Tae.

Seokjin smiled, yet, his eyes traveled from Joon's extended hand into the younger one, having seen movement behind his friend. The model's eyes widened about what he saw.

His boxy smile dissolving into a thin line as Kim Taehyung's eyes closed and his eyebrows furrowed. Then, when he opened his eyes again, lost was his smiley and seemingly child behavior, having acquired a new dimension. His eyes showed a hint of possessiveness as he pushed his cheeks out with his tongue as if he was feeling a little bit angry.

The model stared at the boy's facial changes, feeling like if he was in a masked ball, dancing around multiple anonymous people with many masks, incapable of knowing who were them.

Namjoon, having seen the model's hesitation, turned to look at the young photographer. Again, he smiled, any hint of behavior changes disappearing into his cute smile.

"Sorry for my intrusion," Taehyung said, bowing at his elders and turning around to follow the recently married couple.

Seokjin was shocked. How did the younger mood change as fast as he has seen? Yet, he couldn't let him leave like that, not once he got to know his name. Not when he had too many doubts about him and his meaningless actions.

"Taehyung-ah!" He screamed, feeling trepidation.

Kim Taehyung stopped on his tracks but, didn't turn around to face the model.

"Won't you introduce yourself to me?" Asked the model.

The model felt his disrespect but instead of getting angry, he smiled, taking on his challenge. His eyes focused on the younger nape, as hints of it appear between the male's messy bed-hair.

"Won't you say something back?" The model asked, ignoring the confused look in Namjoon's eyes."How rude" He sighed.

The boy smirked, still hidden from the other two's line of view. Feeling the model's provocation funny. Still, ravishing on the model's attention on him.

"Why should I?" Asked the photographer back, his back still facing at the model. "Sejin-ssi said that the official introductions are going to be downstairs when you all arrive"

"I want you to tell me your name now"

Taehyung smirk widened. He decided to stop it before it escalated. He turned around with a cute smile on his lips and light on his eyes. Confusing the model even more.

"I'm so sorry, hyung" He said, blushing. "I was so, so nervous about meeting you in person that I forgot about my manners"

Namjoon cooed on the cute  _aegyo_  of the younger, who was pouting, turning down his face so his hair hid his eyes. The perfect image of an embarrassed little man. He laughed to dissolve the seemingly weird ambient, as he couldn't understand the sudden bossy behavior of Seokjin.

"Ohhhh, obviously everyone feels like that on their first time meeting you, hyung" Agreed Namjoon, approaching the younger male and disheveling his hair. "You are, after all, a worldwide famous model" He smiled at Taehyung, dimples showing. "Don't be embarrassed"

Kim Taehyung blush upgraded to another shade of red.

And Kim Seokjin was left dumbfounded. The male was acting too different. As if the one he met and the one in front of him was a different person.

_He was trying to bait a tiger, not a puppy._

"Come here~" Cooed the producer, standing behind the young photographer and softly pushing him to the front of him, guiding the younger male to stand in front of the model. Taking both of their hands and forcing them to shake hands.

Unbeknownst to him, Taehyung squeezed the model's hand a little bit too strong. Now that Namjoon was behind him, his eyes had lost all that juvenile shine, it was substituted by that possessive glint again, staring at the model's doe eyes. His soft smile turned a full-blown smirk.

Jin was truly confused. He was lost on words about the younger male strange changes of moods. He didn't know if to squeeze back or run away with his tail under his legs. The predator glint in the younger male eyes too intense for his little and weak heart to handle.

Namjoon, dense and presuming that they were too embarrassed to talk to each other, decided to do the presentation himself. After all, most children are afraid to jump into the water without the help of their parents throwing them into it.

"Kim Seokjin" He signaled to the frozen model, also not understanding his hyung ' _first demanding and then cold_ ' attitude towards the younger male. "Kim Taehyung"

Taehyung smirk became a smile again, turning around to look at Namjoon.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, hyung"

Jin was lost. Feeling as if there's more in Kim Taehyung persona from what he can see. As if he has lost a piece of a puzzle and couldn't solve it without it.

Namjoon looked at Jin and his silence.

"Just hug already" He prompted, also tired of him being immobile, so he pushed the younger male into a hug.

The boy's face fell on the model neck. Jin felt him inhale, his breath tickling on his neck. Then, he sighed.

" _Cat got your tongue_?" The words low and caressing the model's left earlobe.

Kim Seokjin pushed the photographer to Namjoon, feeling like his cheeks were dyed red.

"How rude, hyung" The younger male sounded offended. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Namjoon almost nodded. He did not understand it either. Maybe he felt too overwhelmed with their talk, the sudden confession of Jackson's feeling and the three other young males waiting for him downstairs?

"I-I" The model started, still lost of words. "I'm sorry" He finished. Taehyung and Namjoon smiled. Different kinds of smiles. One proud, the other delighted.

Why did he felt as if Kim Taehyung really got his tongue? He felt lost and afraid of him. Yet, like a magnet, drawn into that changing personality of him, intrigued about what is real and what is not.

So, to help him up, he took the younger photographer by his shoulders and said:

"We will give you time to clean yourself and get ready, so please hyung, come downstairs when you feel ready enough to be civil towards the other children"

Having said that, they left their hyung alone.

___________

V smiled at the producer. He did some small talk with him, using his charm to win him over. But, silently he was still enjoying his effect on his dear hyung.

His head was hurting from his internal fight with Taehyung, as he wanted to come out and play. After all, they did agree that today was his turn to enjoy his time with the model.

So, he let himself be carried away through the hall and into downstairs, meeting the gaze of these nervous and cute children who were going to compete with him for Kim Seokjin's attention.

_Little they knew, that they already lost the contest._

As he watched at those nervous and tiring people, he decided to take a nap. As his head hurt and didn't have the patience to play along with that farce of fake introductions and shit-talk with the cameras recording it all.

So, he allowed Taehyung to come and play around.

V closed his eyes, took a breath and everything went black.

 

 

***

Far from there, in the underground of a block of under construction departments full of homeless, someone was emptying a seemingly green liquid in a room full of photographs.

Then, slowly, lighted a match with a quick movement and slowly walked to a grayish and decaying door. Without looking back but squeezing a small Polaroid on his pocket, closed the door after throwing the said match to set the room on fire.

After a short time, the whole place was ablaze. Outside, the firetrucks arrived and the news were recording the firefighters while they worked to extinguish the unyielding flames.

 

 

 

***

 

Outside of that building, with people crying, running and getting cared by emergency services... Four policemen stared at the place without surprised gazes.

After traveling to the other two locations where that call could have been made and returned with empty hands, they observed, frustrated, as the only place where could had contained crucial evidences, was consumed by the flames.

"Back to base one" Chanyeol said, looking at Jungkook, who's eyes reflected the flames. "You must return to Jin's, whoever did this, has a plan"

After all, who could set on fire a whole building with people inside just for the sake of one person?


	26. 똑똑(Knock Knock)

 

 

Meanwhile, Kim Seokjin was in his room, wondering about why had his body decided to freeze like that...

Also, Why didn't Namjoon notice the other's change of mood? Why was he the only one who felt it?

Why did he feel so played with?

Above all, why did they keep using stupid quotes about  _cats_? 

 _Curiosity killed the cat_  and  _cat got your tongue_?

 **What the hell?** Who is the cat? Jin or Kim Taehyung?

Jin laughed from that ridiculous thought and went to the bathroom, opening the tap and throwing water into his face. His hair getting all wet and sticking together. 

Kim Taehyung got into his nerves and under his skin. His smugness and weirdness truly were captivating but, hateful at the same time. 

His eyes search for the little toiletry bag next on the counter. He opens it and takes his favorite BBcream, pushing a little bit on his left hand and putting it on his face, focusing on his prominent eyebags.

Obviously, Jin was too  _jungshooked_  to talk back to him. Well, almost anyone would be if they had to face a confusing man with seemingly too many faces. A handsome boy who can smile like a beautiful baby and suddenly turn into a rude beast?

Most of it, why did he had to  ** _apologize_**? 

He finished applying the cream and looked at his face, which felt and looked much better. Normally, Kim Seokjin just applied BBcream and nothing else, except for awards and photoshoots, when Jimin used to paint his face like an artwork.

Why did he feel like a total loser when he was that handsome?

Why had Kim Taehyung affected him so much?

At first, if he recalled their first meeting, the way he moved, talked and smiled as if Jin held the world on his hands? The way he acted smitten with him, although a little bit rude when keeping silent about his name. There he seemed to met Taehyung, the teaser.

Then, later today, exposing his body like that? Flirting like that? Omitting his name and providing a fake one? Being so dominant and rude, ordering him around? Finally, closing the door on his face? Taehyung, the seducer.

The way his sinful movements caused his heart to beat like crazy...  ** _obviously because of how angry he was at him..._**

Obviously a normal reaction. How would the rest of the world react if they had a semi-nude male standing in front of them sleeping with just a bathrobe? Obviously, getting angry and their hearts beating fast.

Surrender to an enemy was embarrassing. Yet, it made him want to fight harder against him.

Kim Seokjin sighed.

_Why did his thoughts return back to him?_

' _Brain, please forget about him and let's think about Jackson... who seemingly had feelings for me_ ' He thought.

Kim Seokjin stored the cream in its make-up case, then, holds a lip balm. He applied it on his lips and looked at his juicy and pouty lips proudly.

Why did he never notice anything?

Jackson was like his best friend. (Apart from Namjoon, but they are two different types of friends, obviously. Namjoon the cuddly and Jackson the joker) He never felt anything towards him, just friendship and support. Even as a photographer, he never called for anything weird, like some other photographers he has worked with, who obliged him to show some skin. 

' _Take a button out, now two, now five... until he was almost naked in front of them._ ' They were such monsters.

So, Jackson never showed physical attraction, just polite professionalism, and unwavering friendship. 

He was nice, a true friend who laughed at his jokes, who agreed to met when he felt down and sad, who always accompanied to late nights at 7-eleven to eat ramen. He just brought him coffee, cakes and much more delicious food from his favorite places as a hobby.

Fuck you Kim Seokjin for being so dense... as Jackson Wang truly was boyfriend material and he acted so in love with him that he got used into him acting that way as a normal way to act.

He took his caring side for granted. 

 _Maybe Kim Seokjin was the one who killed him?_ Maybe his denseness hurt him so much that he couldn't endure it anymore? 

_Maybe he got too sick in love that he decided to kill himself?_

Kim Seokjin felt like a  **killer.**

Now, he just wanted to cry and cuddle with someone.

But, he fought against his tears so his make-up wouldn't get messy and closed the bathroom door. Then, he ran and jumped into the bed, feeling like abandoning the people who waited downstairs to sleep his newest realization out of him.

Surely he wouldn't be too missed. 

After all, it was Min Yoongi's method of dealing with shit. He was just following his lead. 

He sighed as he felt too much. His brain was feeling like the one of a madman. His hands were trembling and the lights seemed brighter yet distorted.  He felt like having an episode. Again. The second one today. Feeling defeated and too tired to get out of bed, he searched for his backpack and tried to approach it without getting out of bed.

Mission impossible.

His arms weren't long enough so, with a sigh, he stood up, approached the said backpack and searched for a familiar yellow container.

Then, before taking one outside, he mentally counted about when did he eat the last? That morning? After the call? Yep. So he could eat another one... the doctor said that he could take up to three pills a day. He took one, walked to the bathroom and swallowed it with some tap water. Then, the model returned to his bed, deciding to fu- them all. They could surely wait. 

He sighed and felt like an old man.

Why... was he like that? He got better... as he hadn't needed those pills for so many years...

Maybe he needed to visit his doctor again?

She must miss him a lot, as he stopped to visit her once he got famous and had to travel for a living. Once he forgot and got over his trauma. She said that she was proud of him, her beautiful boy because he got much better. She advised and cheered for him to try to stop the medication and learn to cope for himself. And thanks to her, he learned and got much better. 

Until Jackson, and the weirdo of Kim Taehyung, and the stalker, and the calls and the police and-

If she looked at him now... she would be really disappointed.

Maybe he is going to call her once Jungkookie returns his phone to him.

His dear doctor Kim Ji-soo. 

 

 

***

 

 

**Took, took.**

He looked at the door, waiting for the rest of their door knocking password to finish. But, it didn't. He furrowed his eyebrows and asked:

"Who is there?"

" _Let me in, Let me in, little squirrel or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!_ " Sang a deep voice mingled with mirth.

"Go away~" The model screamed back. "I don't want to open the door to you!"

"Oh, then, do I have to go over it?" He asked, his deep voice diminished by the door was still goosebumps-inducing. "I am willing to blow and tear it down to reach the (our) sleeping prince"

Kim Seokjin blushed, yet remained silent. Maybe if he ignores him, he will go away.

"Hello~?"

Taehyung remained silent, seemingly listening through the door as if wanting to hear the model movement's inside of his room. 

Hyung, don't give me the silent treatment"

"Jin-hyung!" He pouted, his voice dropping a few tones to imitate a Kid's voice. "Please!!"

Taehyung finally got triggered by the constant silence. 

"I'm not going to eat you, you know?" He giggled. "I'm not the big bad wolf coming into your little room to eat you whole" He finished and snickered

The model smiled, wanting to keep playing this hide and silent game with the younger. 

"I will puff and blow your door up for real!"

Seokjin couldn't watch him but he imagined the other boy pouting, and it was weird because, before, when he pouted, he gave him chills.

Now, the boy with this tone of voice seemed much calmer and warmer. Different than before. He really kind of resembled the teaser he first met on that office hall. His eyes traveled to focus on the colorful t-shirt on top of a chair, waiting to be hanged into the wardrobe.

"Oh... Sejin-ssi is going to be so angry at you for being late and Min Yoongi-ssi was mumbling something about killing you slowly with a spoon" 

This one trick he knows, as the younger one played the same card when he tried to coerce the model to ask for his name. Yet, that last seemed so like Yoongi that it caused Seokjin to freze. 

"Hey Seokjin-hyung... do I need to do this-"  
  


 

🎶

_Knock_

_knock_ _**knock knock** _ _knock_

_Knock knock_

🎶  
  


 

"-for you to let me in?" Asked the younger, feeling impatient already. 

Kim Seokjin was left dumbfounded. How did the younger know about their password? Was it that obvious? Where did he hear about it? The model knew that it was childish but his friends tended to use this rhythm while knocking at their doors to knew it was them and not someone else's. 

How did the younger know about it? 

"Please, don't freak out!" Taehyung tried to calm the other, feeling the tension on the other side of that door. "(I) heard when I was in my room and felt curious about why did RM-ssi use it to knock at your door" he reassured, feeling the need to justify. "It sounded nice so I wanted to try it out!" Tae waited for a reply again. Still silence. "Okay, if you don't want to open the door... I will leave, but don't ask for my help when your scary manager kills you slowly"

And then silence. Jin waited exactly sixty-nine seconds before getting up from his bed and carefully tiptoeing to the door. He put his ear against the cold wood of his door and tried to hear anything outside of it.

Nothing?

Just tiny voices arguing downstairs, the noise of chairs being dragged and Namjoon and Sejin laugh.

The model tried to lean his ear closer to it to see if the other had already gone downstairs. He tried to pinpoint and hear his deep voice on the floor below.

Still nothing.  Just unknown people voices that put his hairs to stand on end.

Then, someone suddenly pulled the door open and the model lost his balance, falling into the open arms of a smiling Kim Taehyung, whose eyes were warm and shining brightly.

"Fallen for me already?" The model could feel the playfulness on his words, as we winked and widely smiled.

The first thought on Kim Seokjin's head was:

_Why did he always fall for this little fox tricks?_

The second one was:

Why hadn't he come inside sooner if the door was already open? Was he expecting something like this to happen?

And he seemed to feel really angry and attacked because his heart was beating like crazy.

_Caused by his blatant disrespect._

_Triggered by the other's nerve._

He almost could feel the other's pride and smugness coming out from him in waves.

Jin's altered heartbeat?

Obviously, it didn't mean  _ **anything.**_

Just his hate and discomfort manifesting itself and causing some weird arrhythmia.

 _ **Hopefully**_. 

 

 

 

 

AUTHOR NOTES:

How I imagine Tae on this fic: 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	27. 귀엽당 (Cute)

__

 

_"Fallen for me already?"_

Jin felt himself being hugged and strangely, it didn't feel bad nor that it had hidden intentions. As if this hug was one given by any of his friends and not from a seemingly confusing and multifaceted being.

For a millionth time... Jin felt himself blush. Again. Like so many other times, obviously, not an embarrassed blush but an angry blush.

"Hi?" Gushed the younger male, warmly smiling and his arms squeezing a little bit on his middle.

The model eyes looked down at their feet, apart by just 5 centimeters. Then, he noticed that both of his hands are trapped against the other's chest, where he can feel his thunderous heartbeat against the other's thin shirt.

_Why was Kim Taehyung's heart beating that fast?_

"I just wanted to try opening the door to see if it was locked... wasn't really expecting for you to fall into my arms... not complaining, though" Tae teased, massaging the older male waist with his fingers, drawing circles and feeling the other's ribs under his fingers.

Jin should escape from the cage of Taehyung's arms and fight against him. He should push the other far away from him until he collapses on the hall and then, start insulting the hell out of him for opening his door against his wishes and having the nerve to hug him harder instead of letting him go.

He should scream for help on the top of his lungs and expose the other's weird and clingy behavior to Bang PD-nim so he got expelled from this stupid contest. Maybe then, he could feel more secure and regain control of his seemingly overly dramatic life.

 _ **But**_?

His body is frozen in the other's hold as he feels himself leaning closer into his arms, feeling like Kim Taehyung is the sun, trying to absorb all his warmth into his cold and restless body. Maybe, Jin, with a ' _false tranquility_ ' induced state by the pills, hugs him back and lets his forehead rest in the crook of  Taehyung's neck.

He suddenly felt too tired to even blink.

Then, because of his own body decided that it's was safe to be enfolded in his arms, he blacked out. 

 

 

***

 

 

Kim Taehyung was over the moon.

Well, more than that, over the whole expanding universe and all its sparkling lights.

He wouldn't have dreamt something like this actually happening.

Not this soon, at least.

Also, not a while ago, when he was dormant and V had the control of his body, surrounded by the darkest night and his only source of light coming from what V felt and saw.

At first, as always, when V went to sleep voluntarily, he felt sick and disoriented.

Momentarily lost.

As when one leaves a dark tunnel and meets the clarity of a dazzling sun.

Then, he found his way again, by the kind words if who's soon going to be his new boss.

So, he felt so lucky when Bang PD had sent him to look for the model, saying something like:

'H _e must have fallen asleep, poor boy, as lately he's having a really hard time_ '

Bang-PD chose him. Him and not one of the others.

He felt so lucky and eager, hurriedly left that room packed with important people, cameras and rookies, to climb up the stairs and search for the one room Kim Seokjin picked. The one farthest from  ** _Us_**.

' _Such a good job V, scaring him away from me in our first day_ ' He scolded inside, sending an invisible but very much real karate kick to the other's chin.

Dormant V felt nothing at all, the  **fucker** , as he could only feel it when he was in charge of his body.

' _Aggressive little_ _ **shit'**_  Taehyung felt as if he has heard a whisper against his left ear, as always, V's creepy way of communication.

' _Psycho_ ' He countered, narrowing his eyes and looking at the too quiet door in front of him as if he could be able to see through it.

Taehyung cleared his throat and raised his hand to bring his fist to the door. Deciding to knock at the door like a normal human being.

As he felt like walking through the cracks created by his other self with being more careful so the fissures don't get any bigger.

He had a job to do after all...

_A prince to conquer._

So, when he met with only silence on the other side, he decided to change plans and try to coerce the other out.

His tongue moistened his lips, as it always does while thinking hard about something.

Seconds later, the silence broke by an unsure:

"Who is t-there?" Kim Seokjin's unsure voice cracked a little bit at the end.

Taehyung ignored the little pang on his heart caused by their prince's fear. Taehyung felt unsure about the motive of he being this scared, feeling like he missed a lot of pieces needed to complete a puzzle.

He ignored V's whispers of ' _just open the door wide already, as it's surely unlocked, so you can take him on your shoulder_ _and-_ '.

Sometimes, V was such a  **brute**.

'Hhhh, that's why you are a  _caveman without tact nor chivalry and everyonehatesyou.'_ He whispered back, trying to be as bitter as the other.

Maybe he spent too much time on the dark but this was his body and he was just sharing it, as Ji-soo said, with a second personality. 

He gagged when he felt V's making himself much bigger and brighter.

Taehyung tried to anticipate his attack, but... felt all of his toes sting and he closed his eyes as if someone had stepped on them, trying to erase the pain caused by his offended companion. 

'Fucker' He mentally screamed. 

'Jerk' V snickered back, his presence still shinning like a dark hole, red and angry.

Tired of V, he closed his eyes and imagined the most secure door to block him out, searching inside of him for the part that always feels alive and omnipresent to seal it with...

 _the Hogwarts main gate_.

Feeling V disappear behind it, he felt proud of himself and finally alone with his own thoughts and persona. Smiling, he decided to charm his way inside.

" _Let me in, Let me in, little squirrel or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!_ "

Kim Taehyung was irresistible, after all.

Not like  **others**.

 

 

***

 

 

Kim Taehyung hugged the other's middle much harder, feeling like the luckiest male alive.

Kim Seokjin (almost) voluntarily fell into his hands.

Taehyung seriously just wanted to try if V was right about the door being open.

_**V was always right, the fucker.** _

Then, Kim Seokjin fell unconscious.

But, Kim Taehyung noticed it and took all the other's weight into his arms, carrying him (almost) on his shoulder. 

Without much effort, he carried him to the model's bed and laid him on the bed.

Fucking V and his predictions. He could almost hear him laughing on his ear, although he was still being protected by the almighty Hogwarts.

He sat on the bed, the mattress sinking by his weight, and gazed at the model. It was almost the first time that he watched him being this calm while asleep... (the other times where he sneaked inside the model's studio not counting).

He watched as the model's eyes moved behind his eyelids, his breath unstable as his chest moved up and down quickly.

A nightmare?

Taehyung brought his phone out and took a quick photo, to save it in his collection. Once it was done, he kept the phone again, as if it had never been out of his pocket.

Tae's eyes gazed at the other's delicate and beautiful factions, wanting to capture it all with his camera, feeling his forefinger tingling with the desire to have the weight of your camera in your hands.

Yet, it was in his own room... and Taehyung couldn't leave his ' _hyung_ ' alone on this state.

It would be too rude and inconsiderate.

So he just stared at the model, imagining all the photos that he could take and all the places he would want to touch and explore, to see if his body was like the one from the usurper photos.

He bit his lips, crossed his legs and waited some more, trying to forget about him. He unnerved and-

"Excuse me Taehyung-hyung" Called a beautiful and small voice from the door of the model.

Taehyung eyes left the model to focus on the one standing in front of the door.

What was his name....?

The boy was the maknae of this ridiculous circus, curly dark hair and soft factions untouched by puberty. Pouty yet thin lips, small nose, and cute facial expression. Although him only being sixteen years old, he was taller than Taehyung, standing at 181cm.

'How was it... Huenyi? Huenlee?'

Confusion must have been shown on his face, as the boy smiled and entered the model's room, politely bowing to his s _unbaenim_.

"It's Huening Kai" He stated, politely smiling, giving his hand to the older photographer.

Kim Taehyung smirked, his boxy smile showing, taking his hand into his slightly bigger ones.

Huening Kai, the first contestant.

And he was a baby...

_Defeating him is going to be an easy win._   
  
  
  
  
  


Least he knew... that Kim Seokjin also liked to care and baby for cute babies.


	28. 키가 큰 사람들은 성가시다 (Tall people are annoying)

 

 

_It's Huening Kai" He stated, politely smiling, giving his hand to the older photographer._

_Kim Taehyung smirked, his boxy smile showing, taking his hand into his slightly bigger ones._

***

 

 

Kim Taehyung gazed as the younger hand traveled from his grip to fall on the floor, next to the bed where the model was sleeping.

It would have been annoying but it was obvious that the younger boy does not seem to have any romantic interest. At least, "yet". His clean eyes held admiration and also preoccupation for the model, who was sleeping profoundly.

"So, hyung, I'm so glad that I got to meet you here, the infamous sti-" Hueningkai started, eyes shining with interesting, but was silenced by the warning look of the older boy. "Oh, it's true, we cannot talk about our social media accounts in front of  **him** "

Kim Taehyung just glared at the younger, waiting for him to realize that he was not welcome so he left him alone with him. Yet, the younger wasn't getting it, too enchanted with the sleeping beauty to notice the 'let me alone' vibes that Tae was sending him.

"You know" He started, scratching his chin. "I heard Namjoon Pd-ssi talking with his manager about something curious about Jin-ssi" He resumed, crossing his arms on the mattress and placing his head on top, his eyes fixed on the model and the photographer. "They talked about Jackson Wang disappearance and how Kim Seokjin is being haunted by someone to the point that he needs permanent police escort"

Kim Taehyung eyes changed from the model's figure to the younger one, his interest picked by his statement.

"Do they know who it is?" He asked, licking his lips.

Hueningkai shook his head, looking all cute as a puppy.

"Just that it affected the model and that he has some kind of episodes where he kinda turns off for a bit to protect himself from worries or fright" he continued, stretching out an arm to flatten a wrinkle on the model's shirt.

Taehyung eyes followed his movement, unblinking.

"They also said that we will have some policemen living with us, like right  **here** , in our dorm"

Taehyung gulped, diverting his gaze from the maknae to the model, whose eyes continued to move behind his eyelids, his long eyelashes dancing on his cheeks to the rhythm of the model's dreams.

It kind of bugged him, having police inside of his home because V would surely hate it, as it would mean to act like a normal human being instead of as a rude caveman.

A comfortable silence built between them, as both watched the rises and falls of the model's breathing.

"You know..." The younger started again, his voice low as if he was afraid of talking louder.

"Hmmm?" Taehyung replied, not really interested in his answer.

"I'm kind of glad that Jackson disappeared" He whispered, playing with his hair, curling it between his fingers.

Seeing it, Taehyung wanted to play with Jinnie's hair, curl it between his fingers and move it between his fingers to feel its softness.

Then, the younger's statement arrived and sank into his brain.

Taehyung's eyes wandered from the model's to the maknae, waiting for him to finish his statement, but the younger male keep quiet, his fingers fidgeting.

"Why?" He asked, his deep voice also low and almost camouflaged with the silence.

"Hmm" He started, thinking aloud. "it was not fair that his beauty was monopolized and captured by only one person" His eyes focused on Taehyung, a thin smile on his lips. "Sharing is caring and Jackson kept him all for himself" he recited with a singsong voice. "It's kind of tragic yet poetic"

His eyes unnerved Taehyung, as they were innocent but also unperturbed by the words that were leaving his lips.

"Why are you here?" Asked Tae, leaning forward to the maknae, his eyes darkening with V's presence, as he felt territorial for the model.

_This boy smelled fishy._

The younger giggled.

"Why are  **you**  here?" He asked back, maintaining eye contact with the older.

Taehyung raised an eyebrow at his disrespect and leaned forward, frowning.

The younger held an enigmatic smile.

"I suppose that we all came here for the same reason as you" he replied, he held a slightly tight-lipped smile on his lips.

Taehyung maintained eye contact with the child, wanting to discover the seemingly hidden motives behind his words.

But, his moment was cut short by some steps quickly approaching. Then, someone new appeared behind the half-closed door: another excessively tall and handsome young man.

He had almond eyes, a small nose, and pouty and pink lips adorned a small face and a really tall and svelte body. He looked surprised first and then, bowed at Taehyung, his hair falling into his eyes. When he finished showing respect to his hyung, he smiled at the maknae.

Tae looked up at him, startled by the sudden presence while Hueningkai stood up from his sitting position, running to his friend. He immediately latched on to him, as Soobin shifted him around so that he was carrying Kai on his shoulders.

He entered the room and approached Taehyung, Kai still on his shoulders.

"They sent me to see if Kai had found the right room, in case he lost his way, but I see that you were busy with Jin-ssi" He informed, also smiling and pinching the younger leg. Then, noticing the model's wellbeing, asked: "What happened?"

Taehyung stared at the two taller males, feeling a little bit small beside them. Tired of being seated (and feeling small) he also stood up from the bed and signaled the unconscious model with his head.

"We don't really know" (he just fainted after falling into my arms)

"Hyung, I think that it's the 'episode' we heard about" hushed the maknae, still hanging from the older male's shoulder. He slapped his hyung butt once the older ignored his statement.

Soobin ignored him and looked at Taehyung frowning to notice that he hadn't introduced himself before coming inside.

"By the way, my name is Soobin" introduced the taller male, supporting the weight of the child with one arm and bringing his hand closer to the elder. "And you must be Taehyung-sunbaenim"

Taehyung shook his hand, waiting for some kind of abnormality to happen, but the younger just shook it and smiled.

"It's an honor to meet you finally, I'm such a fan for your work"

Kai pinched hard on his thigh and Soobin let him slide down from his shoulder to fall on the floor. Hard and soundly.

"Hmmmm"

Three pairs of eyes moved to the model, who was furrowing his eyebrows and nose, stretching his arms and legs.

The sleeping beauty finally waking up from his healing sleep. He brought his hands into his eyes, to hid them from the light of the room. Then, noticed three pair of eyes looking at him.

Kim Seokjin moved his eyes from behind his sleeve and meet Taehyung's, who was smiling at him, a boxy grin showing and put his hands a few centimeters over his eyes, trying to darken them so that the light did not bother him.

"Welcome back," He said, cooing at the blush growing on his hyung's cheeks when he noticed the two taller men behind him.

The model bit his lip and played with his hair, sitting up and his eyes traveled from Taehyung to the other two unknown human beings.

Hueningkai innocently smiled, running to approach the model and stand beside his bed, ten centimeters apart from Taehyung.

Jin felt overwhelmed by so many new people (and for having Taehyung smiling at him, showing a weird boxy smile that oddly suited him)

He held his hand for the model and felt delighted when the model hesitated to take it. Then, with a slightly forced smile, he took it and shook it.

"Don't be shy!" He beamed. "My name is Hueningkai, nice to meet you, hyung"

Then, Soobin also approached the bedside, standing next to Hueningkai. He looked calm and serene as if he wouldn't harbor any kind of nervousness. He also held his hand, waiting for the model to shake it once Kai m let his hand go.

"And my name is Choi Soobin" He introduced, sounding mature but cute. "And I'm also Kai's childhood best friend"

Jin looked at them surprised. It would be a dream come to participate in this kind of variety show with a friend, so they wouldn't feel alone. They looked young, like one barely had eighteen years old, the other looked like a teenager.

Tall teenagers.

Very cute and huggable teens.

So shook his hand, ignoring when Kim Taehyung's almost narrowed his eyes.

"Kim Seokjin"

The two teens giggled and looked at each other.

"We already know"

Then, someone stepped out from the door.

Another teenager.

Another tall and beautiful young male.

His hair was dyed dark brown and was parted on his fringe. His legs were long and slim. He looked a little bit embarrassed, as he scratched his nape.

"Sorry for joining you all like that... but I didn't want to be the only one left alone without meeting you..." He apologized. "I wanted to meet you before the recording, so decided to follow Kai and Soobin when they left to find you" He sheepishly smiled, his lips beautifully curving themselves. His voice was also very calming and cute.

He approached the other two and waved his hand.

"My name is Choi Yeonjun, born in 1999 in Bundang-gu and a student of photography in Dongguk University" He cutely introduced himself, unaware that the other had still not done it. "I really admire you and feel really grateful to be able to learn photography with you and for the chance to be able to participate in this project"

The other two protested as they still had not had the chance to talk about themselves. As they've been waiting for the model to wake up and officially introduce themselves in front of the cameras, as the rules stated.

Kim Seokjin smiled to the young male, who was still scratching his nape and blushing.

He already might have a favorite.

Kim Taehyung's smiled wavered and, if you looked closely on his hands, one of his fists was turning white.

 

***

 

 

 

**Somewhere far from there:**

_"You destroyed it?"_

_Two people were talking in a seemingly innocent apartment, far from the bustling city center._

_"I did as you said, poured gasoline and stayed to watch as all your photos burned to ashes" Another voice replied, feeling proud of his hard work and enjoying the attention on him._

_Someone smiled, pearly teeth shining because of the flash of the flickering light on the bedside table._

_"You did so well my boy," the voice said, signaling for the boy to approach. "Come here"_

_The boy smiled and approached._

_Finally._

_Now..._

_Someone turned on the television and searched for Bighit Entertainment's YouTube channel, entering an upcoming direct live._

_It was time for the show to start._


	29. 정국의 친구 (Jungkook's friend)

 

 

 _ **Jeon Jungkook**_  (1)

_Present day, on their way to the dorm:_

 

Jeon Jungkook was watching the buildings pass throughout the window of their patrol car, returning to the location Namjoon had sent them through  _kakaotalk_.

The new dorm where they were going to be protecting Kim Seokjim from rogue villains who burns entire buildings just to set aflame any kind of clue.

When they left the police station, Seo In-guk and Chanyeol were on the computers, had been without sleep for the past 48 hours and were trying to get another location or a culprit on that building adjacent surveillance cameras.

Shownu and Eun-woo had been sent in again as recon and had come back with absolutely nothing, no witness nor any sign of anyone suspicious.

The building had been stripped and the unknown person had been nowhere to be found.

The culprit was just a shadow walking between multiple human beings, hidden from the cameras by being camouflaged like a chameleon among a crowd of homeless men.

Now, they just had to wait for another lead or keep trying to revive the phone found in the river Han which was supposedly owned by Jackson.

Jungkook leaned his forehead against the cold crystal and it smudges because of the condensation of his respiration.

He wrote down on said condensation with his fingers, writing his own name and seeing the building traveling fast through the letters of '정국' and sighed.

If he closed his eyes, he could still see the undying flares behind his eyelids, devouring a building to its foundations.

_Thankfully, nobody died._

They had time to escape before the flames got out of control. The emergency services only had to treat people with panic attacks, with small first or second grade burns or those intoxicated by the smoke and lack of oxygen. In addition, a lot of people lost their so-called home today, although a home is something which can be rebuilt again with enough effort, compared to losing their own lifes.

Jungkook sighed again, scratching his nose and sitting more comfortably on the seat of the car.

"What a day, huh?" Hoseok voice cut through their silence, stopping the car in front of a red traffic light and looking at the rookie with worried eyes. "First started as an amazing day... as could have watched a reality show of the year on live..."

_But, Seokjin-hyung got the call and after that, hell broke loose on earth._

Hoseok was a little bit worried about their younger officer, as Kim Seokjin's was the first 'big case' in his career.

After they started to actually consider it a suicide case, it started to become more creepy and complicated with each text, call, and evidence disappearing in front of their noses.

Jungkook just nodded, feeling tired and empty after today's tiring events.

He kind of wanted a hug from Jin-hyung, as it always felt good and caring, like a hug from his mother, back in Busan. Although it's been just a few weeks since he had met the model, their midnight talks and bickering caused for the model to become an important part of their lives.

Hoseok still had some saved energy from today's adrenaline, so he kept talking about it, just to distract their overwhelmed brains from bright flames and screaming people.

"What a shame, that building was the last location from where that call could've been made" He paused, looking at the car in front of him, the red light from its brake bulbs illuminating their faces. "I'm sure that Seo Inguk-hyung is still pulling his hair out now trying to find some new clue or-" Hoseok continued, starting the car once the light turned green. Jungkook tunned out his speech as his eyes focused on the blinking yellow numbers that marked the time and remembered that ' _the red room_ ' started at 7:30 pm, so he approached his hand to the radio and searched for any station that gossiped about idols and celebrities.

"It seems as if our most awaited ' _red room_ ' is on hold at the moment, Yuri-ssi" said a male voice, pretty normal and boring.

"Yes, Heechul-ssi" replied the so-called Yuri, voice soft and feminine. "It seems as if the youtube channel of BigHit Entertainment, where they are supposed to show the twenty-four hours of the daily life of our favorite model, has technical problems" She paused. "Currently, we can see that there are almost 20,000 people waiting for the live to start"

Jungkook hummed, opening his phone which only had less than the half of its battery and started YouTube, where he wrote BigHit and ' _The Red Room_ ' and searched for it, clicking on the first direct link.

"Oh, I wonder what happened..." Whispered Hoseok, turning right and heading straight.

Jungkook nodded, his gaze moving around the screen and reading the advertisement that the model's company had placed.

' _In a moment, 'The Red Room' will begin, please, be patient_ _and don't hesitate to chat and interact with us_ _during the live_ '

The message was written in pink and had a beautiful photo of the model, who smiled kindly at the camera, eyes seemingly looking at his fans.

       

A lot of people were chatting about the delay and arguing with each other about meaningless things.

"I really hope for Jin-hyungie to be alright" He resumed, turning left and then straight, skipping a traffic light in amber

"Um, hope so, too." Replied Jungkook, feeling a little bit worried about him.

They hoped for Jin-hyung to be healthy, hoping that he had not suffered any other attack or traumatic episode.

"There are rumors that are saying that Kim Seokjin is silently suffering a depression after Jackson disappearance and also, that something strange is happening behind the cameras, since he has been found entering and leaving the police station several times." Informed Heechul, his voice added some drama to his words.

"Yes, there are some photos running around that show us a defeated and  _almost_  ugly side of our favorite model, looking gloomy and neglected," Yuri said and Jungkook wanted to punch her.

_Pardon?_

He couldn't avoid to cynically laugh at their insensitive bullshit.

_It's obvious that nobody would_ _look and act perfectly in his situation... he is being chased, you fuckers._

"Yes, we feel bad about him, but he seriously needs to take care of his health, many fans are complaining about his physical appearance lately," Heechul remarked.

Hoseok grumbled, his sunshine darkened a little bit because was starting to get angry.

"People are sick" he said, offended. "I will never understand how those call themselves his fans and proclaim that they love him, and instead if giving him their support, they criticize and diss him when they know how bad he is feeling"

Jungkook hummed and silently agreed, looking at his phone, whose screen turned black, replacing the cute pic and some background music started to sound.

"Oh, it seems as its finally starting," Yuri said, clapping and sounding excited. 

Then, two tables with four boys replaced the dark screen.

They were placed in a livingroom with a television that showed what would be the contestants ' _academy_ ' on BigHit, a room that had a really long sofa and colorful walls and furniture, also some classes and studios. 

Five portraits were hanging from a wall.

Three seemed teenagers and the fourth member provoked a gasp from the young officer, who's eyes widened in realization.

"Tae?" Asked, looking at his handsome best  _fanboy-friend_ , whose intense stare was directed at something outside of the frame of the camera.


	30. 빨간 방 (The red room)

 

_**Jeon Jungkook  (2) ;** _

_Three Year's Ago, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul._

       

 

Jeon Jungkook met Kim Taehyung inside the queue of the Seoul Fashion Week, a long time ago, while they waited for the model's car to arrive with some other fans who were screaming their lungs. Most of them were girls and held LEDs and phones with colorful 'Jin' displayed on their screens.

They were all wearing miniskirts and a lot of makeup, dreaming about being noticed by him.

Obviously, both of them cringed at their antics. Jungkook thought that fanboys were not as creepy as most girls.

So when the sleek and black car finally arrived, everyone started to scream and Jungkook couldn't avoid taking his neighbor's hand into his own as the model stepped out of his car wearing an all-black tux and looking like a three-course meal.

 

 

And with just a look and shy smile,  _the car door guy_  was trending worldwide.

They both were alone but, while Jungkook used his smartphone to try to take good and unblurry photos of the model, Taehyung had a professional one with a bazooka-like lense.

When he asked if he was a fansite, the handsome stranger just smiled and shrugged while he took some photos of the model, not even watching if they turned good or not.

After the model passed without noticing them, they exchanged twitter id's and started to fanboy through dm's, mostly exchanging photos and getting to know each other as Kim Seokjin fans.

He found out that it had not been long since he moved from Daegu and that he was studying photography in a professional academy. Also, that he was living alone and still didn't had many friends in the capital, so they kinda became online friends that met sometimes in coffee shops and talked about their favorite idol, criticizing their fandom and life in general.

When Jeon Jungkook asked about the photos, Taehyung just shrugged and changed the topic, saying that those photos were only for his eyes and that he really didn't want to share them.

He thought that it was weird but ignored it, as most people didn't want to share their precious treasures.

Although, Jungkook was seriously curious about his photos.

The officer knew that most fansites hid themselves so they wouldn't be found or denounced, as the line between being a fansite or being a  _sasaeng_ was slim and sometimes, almost invisible.

He, as an ' _almost_ ' graduated police officer, knew that some photos may go against the image rights of the idols that they photograph, crossing the limits of illegality.

So, he just got used of Taehyung's and his camera, genuinely feeling that he was not a bad person and wondering about his hidden persona, who most likely was a famous fansite, as a normal person cannot afford the monstrous camera that he owned, his expensive clothes nor his seemingly unofficial but real acknowledgment of the model's whereabouts.

Because, Kim Taehyung was always the first person to arrive in the airports and events. He waited for Jungkook and informed the young policemen of every detail of the model when he couldn't get there because of his work or almost non-existent missions.

Until Jungkook noticed that one raising fansite called 'stigma' took photos from the same places where he waited with Taehyung.

The same angles, the same places, the same people who were fangirling in front of them and lastly, one day, Jeon Jungkook also appeared in the background of one of his photos, a day that he arrived late and approached waving at his best friend.

Jungkook's eyes, which at that time were looking at Taehyung's, were captured in the camera's lens.

That's why, later, in one of their fanboying dates in their usual cafe, he brought the subject and asked if Taehyung was really 'stigma'.

Jungkook would never forget about Taehyung's surprised eyes, wide and fearful. Jungkook tried to calm him by saying:

"I'm not going to uncover you" He promised. "I love your work... even bought your photobooks and supported your birthday events"

Taehyung looked flushed and kindly smiled, feeling grateful at his only friend in Seoul.

"I thought that you were going to make me stop" He whispers, looking at the strawberry smoothie on his hands. "Or worst, arrest me... after all, you are an agent of the law"

Jungkook laughed, sipping from his banana milk glass.

"I would never" He promised again. "You are my friend... and, keep in mind that policemen can be fans of fansites such as you and feel grateful for your great work, too" Jungkook finished his banana milk and looked at his friend's serious gaze. "You must share your secrets though, in exchange for my silence"

Taehyung rolled his eyes and finished his smoothie too, frowning when his head hurt from the cold of the drink.

"I won't my ways... but I can send you exclusive photos... that nobody else's can see" He proposed and offered him a toothy grin and Jungkook couldn't help but smile back.

That day, Jungkook became  _stigma's_  protector and his number one fan.

They became friends for real.

He felt as if he finally got to know him fully.

_How wrong was he..._

 

 

_***_

 

 

 

So, Jeon Jungkook kept quiet about Taehyung when Hoseok talked and joked about his camera roll, full of that fansite's photos and later, when Seo In-Guk and Namjoon talked about Seokjin's obsession with  _stigma's_  photos, he couldn't avoid feeling proud of his friend.

Stigma was his secret and he was determined to protect it.

After all, Kim Taehyung was not a _sasaeng_.  Because Stigma was sustaining the fandom, both domestically and internationally. 

Thanks to his photos, Kim Seokjin was well-known in and outside of South Korea. 

Thanks to him, they've got a lot of flattering photographs of Kim Seokjin daily life, usually hidden from official media. 

Thanks to him, they had information about the model when he went through a sustained break or hiatus. 

Thanks to him, they've got flattering pics of Jin, instead of official photographers of news outlets or broadcasting channels, which often featured awkward angles and unflattering expressions from the model. 

Stigma was truly the best fansite and Jungkook was glad to call him his friend.

That's why he just wanted to scold him a little.

Rant about his secrets.

_For being a bad friend and hiding this piece of news from him._

But also support him. 

As he might distract the model from the bad things of their world. 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

**Present day;**

Jeon Jungkook couldn't avoid but smile at his memories of his friend.

A friend that right now was on his phone screen, most surely looking at Kim Seokjin, who surely was behind the camera, waiting for his big entrance.

_Kisses might be surely thrown._

Yet, Jungkook couldn't avoid feeling betrayed by the silence of his so-called 'online' best friend.

It's been a while since they texted.

The fucker never said anything about him being scouted by Big Hit, just that he had some plans and would be busy for a while.

His thought were cut by the so called Yuri-ssi, who screamed on their car's speakers and surprising Hoseok in such a way that they almost have a car accident.

"Omggggg, the younger one in the right is Hueningkai!!" She said, fangirling. "He is a well known instagramer who takes street photography as a hobby" She informed, sounding dreamily. "It is surprising that he is still a high school student..."

Heechul hummed, silently agreeing.

"The boy that is seating next to him is a cutie" He chuckled.

The girl nodded.

"He usually appears in his instagram stories, presumably they are best friends!" She informed, adoringly. "His name is Soobin and is also a cutie, although he is not as famous"

The presenter, Bang PD smiled, starting to talk about what the red room would be about: a photography talent reality show that wanted to find Jin's next photographer while showing the daily life of the model and where the contestants would be coached by various professionals in several artistic disciplines while being constantly filmed with cameras.

They would go to school and university when needed but also, would learn in BigHit Entertainment, where they would be taught about photography and Seokjin's agenda.

Then, once a week, the contestants would have to face a prime time show, where they would show their best photo following a thematic chosen by the teachers and that they have prepared during the week before. Then, based on the judges' verdicts and viewer voting, the weakest contestant would be dropped.

Meanwhile, the reality would also show the model's development and training as something more than a model. Obviously, to clean his current reputation and gain more fans.

"Surely it looks entertaining" Giggled Yuri, voice soft. "I can't wait to get to know all the contestants and Jin"

Bang-PD introduced the contestants, omitting their aliases and talking about their powerful abilities and strengths. 

When he showed Hueningkai, the chat roared about how cute he was and how he would win. Then, most of the girls talked about how Soobin looked like a good kid and wanted to cuddle or how handsome and polite is Yeonjun.

Then, when Taehyung appeared on the screen, everyone started to comment about how beautiful and perfect was his face, how charismatic he looked and how he had a kind of duality where he could look all intese while looking at the camera and suddenly all goofy when the model appeared on screen and sat in the middle of the two tables, looking fresh and handsome, as if he had a beauty-slept all night.

After that, they introduced most of the teachers, that would be important photographers from all over the world and the judges, who would be the model's circle of friends, Namjoon, Jimin, and Yoongi, also some of the producers from Big Hit, like Adora or the boss himself. 

Then, when everyone thought that it would end, Bang-PD said:

"Another contestant is about to arrive" He suddenly dropped, like a bomb.

Obviously, most of the people on the screen didn't know about it, as the four contestants looked angry and Jin looked surprised.

Bang-PD smiled, a 'i-know-how-you-are-feeling' look in his eyes. He had to add a little bit of spice to this reality, after all.

"He has been highly recommended and I had to agree," He said, looking at the camera. "You can come in!"

 

 

Then, dressed in red, entered Kim Jong-in, also called KimKai, smiling at the camera and judging, mockingly, at the rest of the contestants.

Almost provoking them with his secure walk to sit in a new chair brought by the staff next to HueningKai. 

He was another of Jin's famous fansites, but he never hid from photos and always shot selfies of his beautiful body and face to the world.

This meant that most of the contestants knew about him. 

Jeon Jungkook also followed him on Twitter.

The young policeman noticed Taehyung's eyes, that were glaring daggers at him. 

He obviously knew about him. 

_Uh, uh... real competition?_

Jungkook might secretly enjoy all this drama and laugh at Tae's hardships.

They were friends after all... 

And friends support and annoy each other. 

"Hyung, speed up" He half-joked. "I want to enjo-, er, guard Jinnie from these people" He smiled at Hoseok, who was looking askance at him. Jungkook shrugged. "There could be a suspect between them" He almost laughed, jokingly, but tapping his fingers and feet in anticipation. 

Hoseok rolled his eyes, but accelerated nevertheless. 


	31. 그들을 알게 되나요? (Meet The Contestants)

 

 

Kim Seokjin couldn't sleep much afted that... so he got dragged to the ground floor against his will and himself sitting surrounded by too many cameras and hurriedly staff.

So, the model sat uncomfortably on a chair placed in the middle of the two tables, feeling like Pumba in front of a thousand hungry and terrifying hyenas.

So many people to get to know...

Too many people to share his time with.

Too many unknown people that sadly wanted to try and replace Jackson.

Five pair of eyes continuously stealing glances at him while trying to awkwardly introduce themselves at the cameras, talking to the public as naturally as they could.

From those five people, two pair of eyes were staring at each other, almost as if they were measuring themselves and in the middle of an internal battlefield that kept happening since the last contestant entered the room.

Although usually dense, Jin noticed it while constantly looking at Kim Taehyung's eyes, whose stare was fixed on the so-called 'Kai', as if they already knew and hated each other. As if both of them were actually well acquainted outside of what would become their new house and deliberately decided to ignore the model to rile him up.

The model did not know whether to be resentful or happy about that.

Nevermind, the tension was palpable in the room and everyone could sense it, even the fans who were watching the show online, already wondering and gossiping about the reason behind those glacial cold stares.

Those stares would surely inspire many ship names for them all, thousands of stories to be writen and gossiped in crowded subways, high schools and offices.

As for Jin, it seemed as if both of them competed about who was going to make the model cry first.

Kim Taehyung's enigmatic magnetism versus Kim Jongin charisma and attitude.

Both of them were actually too intense for the model's current mood, who just wanted to become a burrito under his sheets and sleep until his body said enough.

Luckily, the other three were much warmer, so Seokjin kindly glanced at Yeonjun, whose feet were constantly moving up and down from the nervousness of being constantly recorded and having to measure his words to cause a great first impression.

The model smiled every time their gazes meet and enjoyed the cute blush on the younger's tiny ears, wanting to save him from the nerves that he was actually inspiring on the younger one.

Kim Seokjin wanted to save the younger ones from themselves, from the nerves and distrust. They were worthy, but sadly, could never replace Jackson Wang.

Jackson banishment still pained his soul. As there were too many unsolved incognitas towards his motives to end his own life.

Too many shades and blanks to fill in.

Also,  _Jin wanted to save them because_   _Kim Seokjin already carried enough negativity for them all, feeling like a madman that was continually going crazy by his own monsters._

  
S

haking his head and trying to fight against these thoughts, his gaze searched for any kind of warm presence.

He looked at Yoongi, who was talking with some staff about insubstantial things, most surely criticizing their work and giving them hell, convincing them to keep his eyes on the model to protect him from any kind of evilness that could happen on the new dorm.

The model felt calm with his manager presence in the room.

Yoongs was like a balm and cure for his irregularly spinning emotions, someone constant and brave who could protect him from the shadows that surrounded him.

The good thing was that the pills finally had some effect on the model as he felt calm and almost sleepy, his nerves substituted for false tranquility. His eyes looking were tiredly unfocused as he smiled to the camera, trying to appear as relaxed and beautiful as he could while trying to appear normal and not as a person full of antidepressants.

He kind of loved those ' _bottled relaxation pills_ ' as much as he hated them, wanting to avoid getting dependent on them and praying for all those creepy happenings to stop coming at him.

He wanted to contact Ji-soo as soon as his hands took his phone, wanting to get better as fast as he could.

So with no smartphone to distract himself and no friends to talk with...

He searched for the only person in the room who had adorable reactions and warmed his heart.

Someone who doesn't alter his heart with unwanted feelings and goosebumps.

 _Yeonjun_.

So he kept staring at Yeonjun, wanting to avoid the other two predatory gazes, his constant eye-meeting was making the younger blush and hid his face behind his sleeves.

Enjoying his cute reactions.

But having the model's eyes pinned on him was surely too much.

Also, what bothered one, disturbed and unnerved the others. Two pairs of eyes fixed on the model and brows furrowed in annoyance.

"Seokjin-ssi" Bang-PF called for the model's attention, also wanting to attract all of their attention on him, instead of at each other. "Five contestants are going to compete for your constant attention... any words or pieces of advice to win you over?"

Jin shrugged to shake off his false sleepiness, awakening the seemingly never-failing charisma of his model persona. Trying to substitute most of the insecurities and goosebumps caused by an unstoppable stare of his enigmatic 'enemy' with a false blankness of imperturbability.  
Clearing his throat, he said:

"Just to be themselves, act natural and follow the rules" He kindly smiled, avoiding Taehyung. "But most important... they have to keep away from my room" His eyes focused on the second oldest photographer, who's eyes changed from frustrated (because he kept ignoring him) to warm in a second.

_Like a puppy moving his tiny tail when his owner pays him attention._

Bang-Pd nodded, intently gazing at the model and trying to decipher his words to understand who was being targeted.

"Oh! Good to remind me..." The PD smiled, watching at the camera that was recording on that moment and trying to convey authority, although totally failing because of his soft and fluffy looks. "We have rules and you will be disqualified if you don't follow them accordingly" He informed, looking at the five young contestants.

"First rule: Always do your best."

Kai smirked and the younger two stared at each other, feeling intimidated. Hueningkai, confidently smiled at the camera and did a Korean heart with his fingers.

"Second rule: Respect each other, because you are here as professionals, not as difficult children."

Again, silence occupied the maknae's table, feelings of insecurity and inferiority taking root on some of their hearts. Because they were actually competing against royalty, against two of the most famous fansites of the model.

Two of them felt almost as if they were about to represent a David versus Goliath.

"Third rule: Forget about your aliases, forger about your names and fanbases, you are here to be judged by your skills and development, not for your fame outside these walls."

Yeonjun and Soobin eyes met for a second and both of they exhaled the air they had forgotten they had held in their lungs. But that was not enough to calm their fluttering heart, because everyone knows that the fame that on has outside is decisive in the South Korean survival competitions. Their only ace up his sleeve was that no one had ever seen Stigma's, so most fans didn't know that the young and handsome man who had arm propped up on the table and chin cupped on the palm of his hand, intently gazing at the model, was that mythical fansite. Not even the model.

"Four: No feelings for the model, as you are here to support him, not to seduce and try to have sex with him inside of the darkroom." His gaze moves through all the contestants, trying to be threatening but his crooked smile dissolving the threat carried by his words.

The whole room exploded in laughter at the dumbfounded expressions of the contestants and at Jin's blush, ears, and neck tinted red in embarrassment while trying to hide his face between his arms.

No one seemed to notice when Taehyung pushed his cheeks out with his tongue, trying to hide a wicked smile while feeling a little bit frustrated for the sinful whispers that exploded inside of his head.

_**He** _ _wanted to carry out with that plan._

"Five: Have fun and learn as much as you can, don't forget that you all will have the best teachers and products to learn from... take this chance to grow as an artist and a human being"

Said that two staff members entered the room with five boxes that looked the same, leaving them in front of each contestant.

The producer nodded to let them know that it was time to open it while the staff walked out of the room. The model curiously looking at these boxes.

Jin watched as Kim Taehyung broke the zeal and opened it, his eyes widening at its content.

Inside there was an expensive high-end camera, with three different lenses, products to care for it and a personal card with his photo.

"This card will grant you clearance to enter our main office, where you are going to meet your new teachers and train for your missions" Bang-Pd announced. "So please don't lose it, like Namjoon did" Bang-Pd looked at the young producer, who was trying to hid his embarrassment behind his sleeve.

"It was only once!"

Jimin laughed and couldn't miss the chance to embarrass him a lot more.

"It wasn't just 'once', how many times have you lost it already?" He teased, enjoying the blush on his friendly face.

Namjoon decided to change the subject, looking at his phone and reading some unread message from Jungkook.

"Oh, they're here!" He exclaimed, intently looking at Bang-Pd with eyes that silently expressed 'the ones we talked about and our public don't need to know about'.

Their boss cleared his throat and nodded at the cameraman who was recording.

"Well, time for the advertisement cut everyone!" He loudly exclaimed, clapping his hands. "In the next video cut, you will get to know our young contestants, as they are going to talk about themselves and why they deserve to win! Please enjoy, pick a favorite and cheer for him to reach the top of this survival show~"

The cameraman nodded at someone sitting behind a computer, where they were controlling all things related to the sound and clarity of the video, who nodded back and said: fifteen minutes break!"

This caused everyone to loudly exhale their worries out of their body, while Jin stood up to walk to his friend's table and sit on top of it, looking down at Namjoon phone to read what Jungkook wrote. A smile bloomed on his luscious lips while he stood up to run to the door, laughing like a child.

The five contestants looked at the model antiques with interest and confusion.

Soobin was trying out the camera while the  _maknae_  was 'ogling' at the lenses that cost as much as the five-month rental of his house. Kai was just looking at Taehyung, arms crossed on his chest and tapping his feet.

Kim Taehyung was just gazing at where the model has left, wondering about who can cause this kind of reaction on Kim Seokjin.

Too curious for his own good, he stood up while mumbling "excuse me" to follow him through the hall, leaving a lot of people behind his back to chase for his prince.

 

***

 

Jeon Jungkook was waiting on their patrol car, which was parked next to a rather luxurious car that surely belonged to the owner of BigHit while they waited for Namjoon or some staff to open the door.

Jungkook, with Hoseok leaning with one arm over his shoulder, was still looking at youtube, gazing at the cuties that were being introduced on the publicity break.

The only sound that could be heard, apart from the contestant's voices over the background music, were Hoseok's exclamations of ' _ooooh_ ' and his ' _hahaha_ ' every time Soobin stretched his skin or Yeonjun said a dad joke, so similar to the model.

Starting with the maknae, each new character introduced seemed to be more handsome than the previous one.

________

**WATCH DIRECT: "The Red Room" survival contest by BigHit Entertainment:**

Olleh 🔊📧🔋

" _My charm, which surely all my hyungs are going to fall for, is my cuteness_ ,"

Hueningkai, with only sixteen years old, seemed like the cute type, someone charming who knew how to use his assets to win over everyone's hearts. His success might happen thanks to the model's wide fanbase, that had a lot of youngsters. Surely, almost every comment talked about how 'cutie' he was and how they all wanted to be called 'nuna' by him.

There's also the fact that he was widely known for his Instagram account, which showed a lot of street style photos of famous people. His work was surely impressive for his young age and surely, Jungkook thought, would be a tough opponent for them all.

 

 

☆

_"I'm just a pretty normal guy that is good in everything but lacks the motivation to actually have realistic dreams. Jackson Wang was my role model and I gladly want to follow his steps. My dad jokes are actually hilarious hh"_

The next one was Yeonjun, nineteen years old and the charismatic type, someone who excluded confidence yet, humility. He was studying photography in college although had the looks to become a model or the talent to become anything he wanted.

If what he said was real, he would actually make Kim Seokjin happy and bubbling with laughter, so Jungkook actually was expecting for their interactions.

 

 

☆

_"I consider myself considerate and kind but... I'm ready to fight for my dreams and those are clearly in front of me, staring back at me from this program, I'm glad that I was one of the chosen. I will be forever grateful for this experience *bows*"_

Soobin is actually eighteen years old and has the height of a basketball player. He warm and cared for all his friends the most. He's actually studying fine arts and specialized in photography, although he prefers creative and original shots.

He seemed to be the least popular between the other five, but Jungkook knows that Kim Seokjin's kind and will actually fall for 'the least favorite'.

 

 

☆

" _Me? I'm just a photographer that wants to capture the most beautiful photos of Kim Seokjin"_

Jungkook snickered at his friend's deep voice and playful smirk. Just a photographer? Obviously, he was someone extremely handsome, unnervingly charming but also weird as nobody ever knows what he is thinking and hiding behind his smiles.

And apparently, his hyung, had twenty-four years old. Tae never said his age, just his name, so they talked as if they were friends of the same age instead of using honorifics. Maybe it would have to change?

His looks actually won many hearts, as youtube exploded with many comments about how handsome and cute is he and how amazing he is going to look by his side.

 

 

***

 

 

"They still haven't seen his tongue" murmured Jungkook to Hoseok, whose mouth was fully open while staring at them.

"Tongue? Why?" Hoseok asked, looking at his young companion.

"He does this extremely hot thing... involving licking his lips and looking at you like he wants to eat you whole" The policeman blushed. "He can be cute and extremely attractive in a second... his duality is  _daebak_ "

"Hm... he does look intense" Hoseok mumbled, looking at the next and last contestant. He actually knew about him, as most of his photos appeared on his timeline when he started to follow the model on Twitter, after getting to know him in real life and as a person, not a celebrity.

☆

" _I'm the best and you all know it_ "

Kim Jongin, also called Kai or his fansite name, KimKai, twenty-five years old and was one of the most famous fansites, capable of buying advertising screens from all over the world for Kim Seokjin's birthdays and successful events.

He did many exhibitions with the model's photographs and for that, he seems to ooze confidence through every pore of his breathtaking skin.

Although, Kim Seokjin, a truly forgetful creature, seems to forget his face every time he meets him. Also, he doesn't really follow him on Twitter.

Too busy with another fansite and his own work.

 

 

***  
  


 

_Tock Tock._

Jung Hoseok eyes traveled from the sinful lips of the last introduced member to the person behind their window, where Kim Seokjin was waving at them with a smile on his pouty lips, eyes full of stars and hopes. Looking so glad and gleeful to see them well and sound.

Hoseok could not avoid smiling, noticing that the model's apple cheeks were so big that they might actually pop if he'd smiled wider. Also, he might have internally screamed ' _holy shit, this guy's visuals are out of this world_ ' while waving back.

Before opening the door, Hoseok looked at the younger one, who hurriedly turned off his phone and met his eyes, telepathically asking:

"Now... what do we say?" His lips actually moved a little bit, remembering about their disastrous raid against the four possible buildings that could have housed their suspect.

Hoseok shrugged smiling at the model and unlocking his door.

"We adorn the truth and wait for orders, as always " hurriedly replied the older while the model opened their door and said:

"Welcome back!" He welcomed with the biggest smile on his lips. He actually jumped into Hoseok lap to hug him and sniffled into the nape of his neck. He then looked at Jungkook, expecting something from him.

Expecting what...?

A hug?

Jungkook internally cursed.

Because It might be impossible to lie to the model's awaiting puppy look.

Because he really didn't want to become another deceiver.

_When there were actually too many liars around the model._

He wanted to become his light, not a shadow.  
  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  


_Jeon Jungkook didn't know that he was already a liar, like many people who surrounded the model._

_Too many questions to solve:_

_Who was evil?_

_Who had good intentions?_

_Who was misunderstood?_

_Who was actually Machiavellian?_

_Answers are coming._ _**Maybe** _ _?_


	32. 불이 많았어? (Was there a lot of fire?)

 

_Tock Tock._

The model knocked again and it was pretty clear that they were acting strange and rude, making him wait outside like that.

Hoseok stared again at Jungkook, trying to say:  _let's try to lie to him and if it doesn't work, we will se what to d_ o while signaling to the model with his eyes and moving his eyebrows up and don't as if to emphasize their internal dialog. Jungkook just raised an eyebrow and slightly nodded.

 

1.

2.

3.

 

They waited three seconds before opening their doors. Three seconds to plan and rethink about what could they say and what could they omit.

Three seconds to become liars and betrayers of truths.

Hoseok cleared his throat and was the first one to step out of the car, hugging the model's tightly and again, trying to think about some kind to ' _non-triggering_ ' explanation about why they were late and smelled like fried chicken.

And judging by the models furrowed nose and surprised eyes, he smelled it.

"Did you go to a Korean Barbecue without me?" He pouted, moving from Hoseok to Jungkook's arms.

Jungkook almost choked with his own saliva.

"Uh... something like that" He tried with a fake smile that didn't actually reach his own eyes. Jungkook wasn't a really good liar either, as he still hasn't had enough time to train this kind of facet.

That's why, Seokjin pulled away from him, keeping his hands on his shoulders and looking into his eyes, suspecting.

Suddenly, Jeon Jungkook feared for the fragility of his clavicle.

"If you didn't go to a Barbecue... why do you smell like smoked meat?" Seokjin asked, his fingers caressing the younger man's shoulders...

Hoseok, tried to save them both by saying:

"Chicken house?" Yet, Seokjin could literally smell the lie when the red-headed policeman nervously pinched his neck.

The model surrounded the Jungkook's neck with one arm and effortlessly bent him down. Then, with his other free arm, tickled him on his ribs to try to extract some information.

The younger tried to escape but forgot how strong the model was, surely, the result of too many pushups and physical training to become that kind of Adonis.

"Stoooooob it" he screamed between laughs and calling for Hoseok help. "Hyuuuuuung, make him stooob!"

The model didn't really want to stop his mistreatment, not when he felt Hoseok building up despair at his side.

He would soon give up and snap. They couldn't really hide anything from him. The model was an actor for a reason, he always knew who was lying and who wasn't, as he, sometimes, got paid for lying to the public to make them believe stories that weren't real.

"Pleaseeeeee hyungie" Kookie tried again, shaking his body against Jin's arm to escape from that torturous embrace.

Yet, he couldn't, so he just gave up and prayed for Hoseok to save him. Praying for him to grow some kind of courage to defeat their hyung's merciless attack against his sensitive body. He was starting to choke with his own laughter.

"Hyung, please let him be..." The nervous policeman started, putting his hands on the model's unwavering arms. "You know that we cannot reveal anything... or we might be in trouble" He tried again sounding more and more desperate. "You know our boss, he might skin us alive for telling you that..."

"Telling me what?"

Hoseok gulped and remained silent.

So, Seokjin didn't stop as he knew that Hoseok would end up breaking and spilling the tea So he just tickled the maknae even harder and more thoroughly.

Hoseok gasped and took pity on the young man, who was being cruelly attacked with uncontrollable laughter, even his eyes were moistured with tears.

"Okay, okay!" he screamed, hands up. "Please stop and let him breath" He screams again, looking at the purple-faced Jungkook and searching for something on his back pockets. When his hands returned forward, they had a crumpled yellow paper with four directions messily pointed on it.

Seokjin stopped his attack and jumped in front of the red-haired policeman, taking the paper into his hands and trying to decipher the words written.

"Oh" He murmured to himself. "These places are really,  **really**  near my place? " He said, starting as an affirmation and ending as a question. He looked at Hoseok, trying to convince him to explain it clearly with puppy eyes.

Hoseok nodded, side watching Jungkook, who was drying his tears with the sleeve of his jacket. His face not as purple, once he could breathe and stop laughing.

"We went there" He informed, thinking about how to explain it without provoking the model into panic mode. "And then, noticed that someone was playing with us... literally playing with fire"

Jungkook stared at the model, still feeling his fingers on him, tickling his ribs. Yet, nodded to his friend for him to continue his story and next... he surely hopes for some cold beer to stifle his anxiety.

"We only noticed it after the third house..."

' _Dumb'_

 

__________

 

 

Jung Hoseok sat in Park Chanyeol's designated patrol car, trying to not to laugh at their bad boy 'Shownu' getting scolded by an angry grandma who was wearing a red stained pink apron.

They might have found a true criminal... But instead of blood, it was pretty obvious that the older woman was making some kimchi with her family, as behind her, two kids were hiding, red stained cheeks and fearful eyes that looked at the muscled policeman.

Shownu looked down, apologetic and trying to calm the older woman, who was screaming something like:

"How dare you to come here with your muscles and only wearing that too tight clothing to scare me, you bastard!" While she tried to be intimidating with red stained rubber gloves and a threatening look in her soft but wrinkled features.

She surely looked like one of the possessed old women of these scary movies Jungkook seemed to love. The ones who looked nice and warm but ended up being monsters in disguise that can kill you softly with their sharp knives and unnatural and deathly flexibility.

So Shownu looked small in front of her, bowing and bowing until she closed the door into his face. Screaming 'pervert' and 'weird and kinky policeman' behind her closed door.

He blushed and walked to the car by looking at his feet and trying to understand what was wrong with his uniform. It hugged his curves a glove. Yet, it wasn't his fault that there was no uniform of his size.

_Shame on their police station._

Once he reached the car, he found two laughing companions and one amused boss. He sat in the co-pilot seat and Chanyeol started the car. After accommodating himself on his seat, his eyes met the two people sitting in the rear seat, staring at them.

"That went well" Their boss stated, driving to their fourth and last destination.

Shownu coughed and fastened his belt.

"I'm getting tired of horny single womans, crazy kpopers and angry grandmothers." He lamented, looking at the still laughing maknae. "I don't want to go out this time, I've had enough with the last three times"

"Enough of what?" Asked the youngest. "Of people checking out your tight clothed butt?"

The broad policeman tried to pinch his leg but miserably failed.

"Tired of your boring puns" He replied, staring.

Jungkook laughed.

"You know you love my puns... Capitan America wannabe"

Hoseok exploded with laughter.

Chanyeol decides to stop them by saying:

"Is that smoke?" He asked, alarmed and speeding the car.

Jungkook stood from his seat to see it better.

"Yes?" He replied, cold sweat starting to trouble him.

Hoseok also unfastened his belt to watch it better, gripping the driver's headrest.

"And it's our building... Right?" He asked, looking at their GPS which was pointing them into that tall and apparently on fire building.

"Shit" Cursed Chanyeol, frowning.

"This looks really bad" Jungkook murmured. "We might have found the place..." He started, looking at his companion. "But maybe we won't be lucky enough to find anything good there..."

Hoseok nodded, sitting back and fastening his seat belt again.

"This looks like shreds of evidence being victims of the flames" He agreed.

Chanyeol quickened their approach.

________

Jungkook stood up from where he was sitting on top of the car.

"The fireman found gasoline and a lot of paper that apparently were photos, as the paper had some kind of substance that facilitated the fire.

Hoseok nodded, squeezing the models hand into his own.

"No CCTV's nor witnesses, just scared and homeless man and women that cried for their lost belongings... Although they had seen people entering and leaving the basement"

"Apparently, it started in the basement and moved up, almost consuming the whole building into tiny and grey dust" Continued Hoseok, his knuckles itching to touch and hug the model.

Seokjin's face looked pale.

"But did you go inside?" He asked, worried about all the people who almost lost their lives and dear things.

Jungkook looked at Hoseok. The redhead nodded, as it was pretty obvious that it would be impossible to lie to the model any more.

"We went..."

________

"The path is secured and the fire controlled" Informed a middle-aged fireman. "Do you want one of my men to escort you inside?"

Chanyeol, looking as intimidating as ever, nodded. As it was better to be safe than sorry.

The firefighter lent them four masks to protect them from the smell and signaled for one of their man, who looked young and strong, to accompany them inside the dark and still smoking place.

It was the scariest experience ever since the building looked as if it would collapse at any moment, darkened walls and the ground full of ash, which had the footprints of the shoes engraved.

They traveled through a long hallway full of things abandoned like objects, sleeping bags, burned food and personal objects that looked almost melted. They went down the stairs to another place, which had another long hallway that leads to the place where the fire started, as it looked as dark as a dark sky without stars. It reeked with the smell of burned paper and plastic.

"The fire started here" Informed the firefighter, whose name tag said: 'Kim Yugyeom', signaling the whole room. "The fire got powered by gasoline and it burned fast thanks to all the material that was stored here"

Chanyeol, grabbed his mask around his nose to avoid the smell of the room.

"What kind of objects?" He asked, looking around but finding nothing at all.

Jungkook also walked around, stepping on the ash which crunched under his feet. Hoseok stayed in front of the door, fearing for the fire to start anew and to kill them all.

"Just a lot of papers which resembled photographs, a burnt sofa, food and clothes" He informed. "It was as if someone lived here"

Chanyeol furrowed his nose, thinking.

"Who?" He asked.

The firefighter shrugged.

"We asked around the homeless and nobody knew who it was. Just that someone used to live here, that he could either be alone or accompanied, never with the same people. They said that he was too handsome to be homeless but lived here nonetheless and that he always wore a mask... Even the people who accompanied him wore it "

Hoseok moistened his lips and pinched his neck, thinking.

"Handsome, never alone and full of photographic material... It could be Jackson?" He asked, feeling dumb by asking it.

Chanyeol bit the inside of his mouth.

"We cannot assume without evidence" He stated. "He could also be their stalker, as for now, Jackson is presumably death by suicide"

Hoseok nodded, looking as Jungkook went inside a small room and disappeared from their view. He suddenly felt anxious and wanted him to come back.

"Jungkook-ah" He called. "it's not safe to wander, come back!"

But the younger remained silent and hidden. The red-haired law enforcer looked at his boss, whose gaze was pinned on remnants of paper and clothes.

"Hey!" Screamed Jungkook and Hoseok got ready to cover the door in case someone wanted to escape.

But nobody left that room. Just Jungkook with something on his hand. Something that used to be an expensive phone but that now looked like melted plastic and crystal.

"I've found another phone" He smiled, resembling a happy and proud bunny.

Chanyeol approached him and took it, trying to search for any number or serial code to get to know it better. It was too destroyed for them to know about the brand nor the type.

"We might end up being a phone store instead of a police station" Hoseok joked, still in the same place.

Chanyeol snickered but remained quiet.

"Okay" He clapped his hands and looked at Jungkook and Hoseok. "Call S to come here and let's search for more, maybe whoever burnt this place was trying to hide something... let's raid this place until we find it"

Jungkook smiled. Feeling alive and happy to be able to help in a raid. He always waited outside or in the office. He wanted to be useful to help Jin-hyung.

While Hoseok dialed and called for Shownu's, Jungkook smiled at their boss, eyes shining and teeth fully showing.

"Don't look like a rabbit with a carrot Kook-ah" Warned their boss. "since we are not going to leave until we had searched the whole area"

Jungkook smiled some more.

 

__________

 

"Did you find anything?" Seokjin asked, crossing his arms on his chest, gulping.

Jungkook stared at him, feeling troubled as he didn't really want to say it.

"We did find something" He started, looking at Hoseok.

The red-haired really didn't want to participate in that dialogue, so he kept looking at his nails and chewing them off.

Jungkook sighed.

"We found an unblemished photograph" He murmured, almost inaudible.

Jin frowned.

"What kind of photograph?" He asked, feeling afraid of its answer.

The silence of Jungkook was enough to answer.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Jungkook's eyes got wide as he seemed to catch somebody spying on them through the half-open door.

Somebody who kept getting caught.

A boy who could not avoid curiosity and stand still.

Jeon Jungkook already knew who he was... as he always could find him, anywhere.

Kim Taehyung,  _the awkward yet soft stalker wannabe._


	33. 친구 (Friend)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to let you know, this story is much longer on wattpad, where I first started to write.  
> I decided to post it here too, for all of you that prefer AO3 :)

 

Kim Taehyung didn't really mean to pry on them.

He could say that some kind of dark voodoo forced him to do it.

Okay, maybe he stood up and trailed after the model on his own, because he got curious about who caused that kind of reaction on the seemingly always gloomy and awkward model: so, seeing him with big and round smiling eyes, apple cheeks and shiny smile for someone else kinda turned his insides out.

So he apologized and asked for the bathroom, 'At the end of the corridor on the right' was answered by someone from the staff. Then, he exited the room, following the model in a safe distance until he left the house and closed the front door behind him, blocking his path.

Then, he had to think fast, so he opened the door of the bathroom, that casually faced the entrance where Seokjin left. He closed the door behind him and approached a small window above the toilet, opening the flowery curtains and gazing outside.

 

 

' _You shithead_ ' Called V deeper voice, who finally managed to escape from Taehyung's mental prison of darkness. ' _Hide yourself better or they might spot you spying on them_ '

Taehyung sighed it took a step back from the window.

"You could've remained asleep" Bit Taehyung's back, rolling his eyes but doing what V's asked for. From outside, the only visible part of himself was his eyes, small nose, and disheveled fringe.

His eyes widened when looked with whom the model was: a patrol car with its blue lights on and two men inside, looking Panicked in their car darkness once the model knocked at the conductor's window. Their faces were illuminated by the light of traffic lights.

'The young man was right' Said V, wondering. 'Seems like our prince is in trouble'

Taehyung eyebrows rose up.

"I thought that you took care of that" He accused, voice low.

' _I did_ ' V retorted. ' _I took care of him, but it seems like Jin has more crazy fuckers out there_ '

Taehyung bit his lower lip and then licked it, nervous.

"Maybe they found out about us?" He asked, almost inaudible.

V huffed and it sounded hilarious.

' _Don't be dumb, they know nothing about us, we're not known, our face was always hidden and we aren't in the model's known blacklist... <Kim Taehyung> is clean. We are safe_'

Taehyung brows kept furrowed.

"I'm not really sure about it... we might have left many loose strings and maybe they found something that we might have overlooked... you aren't infallible"

V was getting impatient and so did his head, that kinda started to palpitate and hurt on its left side.

' _I'm sure that I'm more infallible than you_ '

Taehyung snorted.

"At least I'm the real one" He smirked back, looking at his reflection on the crystal. "Oh, they are leaving the car"

It was starting to get dark so Taehyung could barely see their faces. Both of them were kinda tall, the one that was sitting on the co-pilot seat more than the one who drove here. It seemed as if they were actually friends with the model, as both of them took him inside of their arms in a sincere hug.

Something stirred on his insides, itching... but he ignored it to try to pry on their faces. They were still far away so Taehyung carefully unlocked the window and opened it, trying to avoid making any kind of noise.

Their voices sounded far yet clear. The model started to talk about meat restaurants and the policeman seemed nervous, avoiding the model with vague answers. Yet, Jin wasn't dumb and opted for a ' _Threat one and you will defeat the other'_  tactic, so he started to tickle the one who seemed younger, who proceeded to uncontrollably laugh and move.

_A laugh he had heard elsewhere._

_A laugh that he already knew._

_**Jeon Jungkook.** _

Taehyung narrowed his eyes to see him better, recognizing for the first time the wavy hair of the boy, his elongated and slender body and bulging muscles.

' _What is he doing here?_ ' Asked V, alarmed. ' _I knew that you were wrong when you decided to keep meeting and befriend him, I told you so_ '

Taehyung heart started to beat fast, more because of V's preoccupations than his own, as Jeon Jungkook, was his friend and would never betray him.

_He couldn't betray him... right?_

' _Human beings are egoistic by nature_ ' Muttered V, voice low and angry. ' _They hurt you because they want to, they leave you for their own convenience and betray you when they need it, remember when we were little. Even children are able to be soulless monsters_ '

Taehyung remained silent, trying to ignore the discomfort in his stomach caused by old memories.  Old memories that he wanted to forget, about childish mistreatment and ugly words that scarred him inside.

' _You are the one who wants friends and light in your life, on the other hand, I only want two persons by my side and prefer the comfort brought by darkness_ '

Taehyung sighed.

"That's why you are a loner and our father and I are your only friends"

V could've smirked. Taehyung lips felt like smirking against his own.

' _Soon I will have another precious human being by my side_ '

Taehyung bit his lips, making the lower one hide between his pearly teeth.

"But first we must save him from whoever is following him now"

' _As always_ ' He swore, his deep voice could've caused even the warmest human being to shiver. ' _But now shut up, I want to hear more of what they are talking about_ '

And tried to focus all their attention on Jungkook and his friend's dialogue, about how they trailed four possible locations for the 'fucker' who sent the model some kind of creepy warning, about how almost all the four places were bluffs and were chosen to deceive the police into false trailings until the last location, that was literally on fire.

' _Whoever did it is seriously considering to hurt him_ ' Mumbled V, glacial intonation and sufficiently angry to provoke a migraine.

"Hmm." Hummed Tae, trying to ignore him to hear some more.

"Did you find something?" He heard the model's sweet voice ask, sounding worried and little bit afraid. Tae just wanted to hug and hide him from the rest of the world to keep him safe.

"An unblemished photograph" He heard him say and his blood boiled.

Because he got tired of people that kept trying to hurt Kim Seokjin. Most of them, people that didn't appreciate him as he does. Taehyung might look messed up in the head, having a dark voice that kept telling him to destroy everything that goes against his prince, but most of the time he was the only one not crazy in a crazy world.

More, he at least could use V to protect him.

Protect the one that helped him dominate his demons.

The one who lighted his way up from the abyss of darkness that was being trapped inside of his own body when V became the dominant one.

The one that V learned to love or at least, something like that; maybe care; maybe obsess and surely be attached for. What he surely believes it that, even Kim Seokjin ended up taking a toll on the grumpy being.

So he swore to protect him from anyone and anything that might try to hurt him.

To dedicate every breath into getting into his good side and teach the model almost everything about himself, so that Jin likes him back.

_He would be so so so happy if the model reciprocated his love._

_Over the moon._

Kim Taehyung might not have to learn anything about him as he already knew everything about him.

_Too many days and nights contemplating him._

His likes, dislikes, who is his family and friends, where are his favorite places, what are his favorite tea and books, he even knew his favorite side of the bed.

They knew Kim Seokjin more than they know themselves.

That's why he was going to become an important person for the model. He was sure of it. He wholeheartedly believes in that.

"A photo about you," Said one of the policemen, Taehyung wasn't paying attention and couldn't hear who said that. "A photo of you inside your own apartment, asleep and without noticing anything."

Kim Taehyung blood boiled until he was almost sure it might start causing bubbles on his tanned skin.

' _Who_?' Asked V,  wanting to take control of his body to raid the model apartment to search for hints and clues.

"That's why, from now on, most of the people close to you are under suspicion of being allies of the criminal or, the criminal himself. Also, there's also the growing believe that Jackson Wang could have been killed or worse" Said the one that wasn't Jungkook.

Kim Seokjin almost fainted when his legs failed to hold his weight. Kim Taehyung wanted to run there and hold him close instead of them but alas, his sharp eyes were too busy getting caught into Jungkook's knowing ones.

'I got you' and 'We will talk later' could be deciphered from his clean stare.

Tae gulped and closed the window and curtain, trying to hide from the policeman stare. After that, he took the opportunity to pee and wash his hands, taking advantage of the remaining water of these to comb his hair back, leaving part of their forehead exposed.

"I will be waiting for you" He mumbled back, walking the distance until the door and opening it to get back into being the focus of a thousand viewers.

_He had a job to win and keep._

 

 

_________

 

 

When Taehyung opened the door of the bathroom to hide from Jungkook, he found out a smirking 'Kai' leaning on the wall.

"It took you long enough," He said, tone of voice mixed with mockery.

Kim Taehyung sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Sorry" He mocked back, faking an apology. "My stomach was loose"

The handsome man smirk widened.

"Oh" He even managed to sound surprised. "So you were having a conversation with your own shit?"

Kim Taehyung almost paled, fingers paling on his fist.

"No?" He replied, starting to walk away. Ignoring him instead of playing his game.

Kai laughed.

"I definitely heard you talking through the door" He screamed. "I thought that you were weird, but right now, you give me vibes of being a 'lunatic'" He tried again to rile him up.

"I don't know about what are you talking about" He turned his back on him.

Kai laughed.

"Crazy people don't survive on this kind of show!" He tried again, smiling when seeing Taehyung's knuckles turn white.

Taehyung gave him the middle finger.

"Talk for you, pudding head" He mumbled.

Taehyung hated this man. Always there, near the model, hoarding all his photos and boasting about being the perfect fansite. Bragging about how the model had given him the name of his fansite in a fansign. Always belittling stigma's work. He thought of himself as powerful enough to pay to Bighit staff to get information about him, never being able to find it on his own.

Kai had a God's complex.

Thats why, Tae really hated him.

'And so do I' V muttered. 'Let's destroy him'

It was a promise.

His eyes were shining with an intense fire when he sat again on his seat, crossing his arms on the table and leaning his head on them, smiling at the camera while patiently waiting for the model to return.

'Wink, they are going to love it' Advised V, knowing that external votes were important.

And so he did, but instead of one eye, he ended up winking with both. Even his lips moved up a little.

After all, being cute was Tae Tae's  ** _specialty_**.

And the chatroom exploded.

_**Game on.** _


	34. 첫밤 (First Night)

 

_"A photo about you," Muttered Jungkook, pausing for some seconds before adding: "A photo of you inside your own apartment, asleep and without noticing anything."_

Kim Seokjin world was crumbling again. It keeps doing it since Jackson disseparence. Since then, he kept noticing everything that wasn't right in his life.

Now, he wasn't safe anywhere: not even in his own home.

Not many people knew about where he lived, just his agency, closest friends and some of his house-keeping workers that he had hired a long time ago.

_Who could have taken photographs of him while asleep?_

Not many people stayed the night, only his closest friends like Joon, Yoongi and sometimes, Jimin-ah.

Rarely, only when wasted after long talks accompanied by beers and laughter, Jackson also slept in his house. Passed out on his couch.

' _The comfiest couch on this world_ ' He used to say, alongside words like ' _I would sleep here forever and never get backaches_ '

Then, whoever was 'he', could also be someone who did sneak into his home uninvited, like some crazy fan or sasaeng. 

This thought was scary because he lived in one of the most secure living apartments around Seoul. He paid for the best security, so at least, to make it harder for criminals and fanatics to get access to his door's password code or to climb up to any windows.

So the question was:

 _Who and how did he achieve it_?

Did someone corrupt his own staff? Was here part of from his own staff?

_Could he be one of his fr-?_

"That's why, from now on, most of the people close to you are under suspicion of being allies of the criminal or, the  ** _criminal himself_**. Also, there's also the growing believe that Jackson Wang could have been killed or worse" Said Hoseok, looking worried.

Kim Seokjin shivered.

And it wasn't an act.

Words from later that day kept dancing on his insides, chilly words that seemed to prophesy and warned about what lies ahead.

_Anyone can be your enemy._

_Even your closest friends._

Although Jin refused to believe it.

At least, he was sure that his friends were good people who loved him with all their might. Not people who were secretly plotting against him while acting friendly. He was sure about it.

He was sure, confident, secure, certain and positive about it.

 _ **But the seed of doubt had been planted in his thoughts**_.

His friends were good people, not murders on a disguise.

_Jackson could have been killed or worse._

His legs failed and Hoseok took him on his arms, preventing him from falling on the ground.

At that precise moment, Jungkook looked up to the house and the model followed his stare until resting on the window of the bathroom, but there was nothing there, just a moving curtain and a light that was suddenly turned off.

"So what do we do? Who could've taken it? Any clue?" The model asked, fighting the urge to bit all his toes off.

Jungkook shook his head, biting his lips. His doe eyes trying to avoid to look at his hyung directly while gazing at his own shoes, dirty with darkened ashes.

"As we still don't know, it's safer if we treat everyone as possible suspects" Hoseok was the one who asked this time. "At least, until our man finds some clue in the phones we've found"

Seokjin nodded but refused to believe that his friends were guilty.

The sing-song specifically said ' _Kim Seokjin, distrust everyone and anyone'_ and he refused to be afraid of his only pillars of support. His chosen family.

He decided to act cold so he could escape to his room and hide from the whole world, as he pretended before getting dragged into the set that is going to be his new home.

Before meeting all those new boys that are going to share his time, space and attention.

Before knowing the full extent of the powers and the obsession of his apparently so-called sasaeng.

So he shivered, stumbling a little bit forward and both policemen believed him when they said in unison:

"Let's get you inside hyung, it's getting cold outside"

"Let's get you to a warmer place~"

Hoseok took his arm to accompany him to the door and waited in front of it for the model to open it, while Jungkook's eyes unfazingly memorized the secret code.

Once inside, introductions were made as the law enforcers shook hands with the staff, contestants and the recently married couple.

Thanks to the heavens, even the cameras were ordered to be turned off when Bang Shi-hyuk saw the pale face of the model and the way he seemed to be in pain, squeezing his eyes' shut and his overly bitten lips.

More incredible, his boss nodding when the model asked to retire to his own room without eating anything from the table full of appetizers.

Everyone present in the room who knew the model, knew then, that something was wrong.

_Since the model never says 'no' to free food._

Not even to a table that had a whole four-story fountain of milk chocolate and candies with the colors of iron man.

So, with a shaky smile and trembling legs, the model nodded them goodbye and retired to his own room.

Was it just acting?

Was it a mix between the Seokjin's deepest feels and an incredibly well-acted performance?

Acting or not, Kim Seokjin just wanted a comfortable pillow, a warm blanket and a whole night without nightmares.

At least, just for today.

Just one nightmare-less sleep.

Maybe someone to cuddle with.

As his own life seemed to be a bad dream instead.

He didn't stop until he was in his room, door closed and head against his pillow.

He didn't even brush his teeth nor cleansed his face with the multiple skin care products bought by Jimin.

He already had a pimple.

Who cared if he had more?

Everyone but screw them.

So he closed the light, still wearing his clothes and closed his eyes.

The door was unlocked in hope for his friends to come and cuddle with him.

Hopefully.

_He really needed a cuddle right now._

_______

A pair of eyes followed the model's path but got blocked by a muscular body that prevented from continuing to watch him leave.

His eyes lost the sight of Jin's unbelievable broad shouldered and narrow waisted retreating body.

His eyes almost bleed out because of said disaster.

The culprit?

Jeon Fucking Jungkook.

Kookie.

The bunny cop.

Taehyung kindly ( _why did you do that?_ ) smiled and extended his hand, acting as if they didn't know each other.

"Kim Taehyung," He said, boxy smile and flickering eyelashes.

The policeman inclined his head ( _I stopped you from embarrassing yourself in front of the cameras, from getting a boner or something like that_ ) and took his hand nevertheless.

Although their internal dialogue, Taehyung felt the softness of a paper being introduced into the palm of his hand and closed his fingers on it once Jungkook's cold hand left his.

Then he turned around and left, searching for a new target.

The youngest policeman approached Jongin and started to fanboy about being a really big fan of his work.

Taehyung rolled his eyes and approached the center of the room, standing beside the table full of sweet food and appetizers, wandering eyes on all the people inside of the overcrowded living room.

From the exclusive club formed by Kim Namjoon, Min Yoongi, and the so-called Min Jimin, who were whispering slushed words between them and sending worried looks towards the corridor where the model had gone.

' _Ten minutes and they will flee_ _from this room_ ' Predicted V, his overprotective presence still on the back of his mind.

Kim Taehyung hummed and took a glass with orange juice from the top of the table. He drank some of its content and his eyes traveled to the younger contestants, who were sitting on the couch with their phones, reading and replying some comments on their social media. Posting cute selcas on their new social media, created exclusively for the program to share their pics and talk about their daily life and feels.

They were already working on their votes.

Already thinking about their survival.

Meanwhile, @/ _redroom_ktae95 didn't_  have any pic nor any kind of cordial introduction from himself.

After them, his eyes fell into the staff, who were on a smaller table eating as much as they could to fulfill their empty stomachs.

Bang Shi-hyuk was talking with the red-haired policeman, continuously nodding with worried eyes and half-opened mouth. Numerous hmms and ooohs were exchanged between them in their seemingly uncasual conversation.

The case was...

_**That everyone looked perfectly innocent.** _

But Kim Taehyung already had some suspicious people in the back of his mind.

The perfectly almost innocent Hueningkai and the super hyper mega annoying Jongin. Even, Namjoon, because he was too nice and friendly, and, everyone knew that overly friendly people are scary and surely hiding or plotting something.

' _Yeah,_   _he_ _hides a really big d-_ ' V interrupted, making Taehyung roll his eyes and almost choke with the orange substance.

'Shut up' He thought back. 'Or I will ignore and block you again'

V silent laugh resounded on his brain, his ears actually tingling.

' _I was just stating a truth, did you see the way his jeans clings to his bulg_ -'

Taehyung wanted to laugh but couldn't laugh alone in a room full of people. He wasn't crazy. Well... At least, he really wasn't.

'I didn't look-'

' _You did or I wouldn't have seen it_ '

Oh, shut up you fucker.

' _Jokes apart, I think that Kim Namjoon is in love with him, surely as we have seen since forever, he was always there, with him, as I'm not getting bad vibrations from him, I suppose he is safe for now_ ' V explained, his presence felt serious and sincere.

'Too bad for him that this world isn't big enough for two boyfriends' Taehyung thought, amused. 

' _My_   _bad_ ' Agreed V and Taehyung lips curved a little bit.

Namjoon apart...

The first one, the youngest, because of what he said earlier. His words were still tingling on his ears.

' _I'm kind of glad that Jackson disappeared_ '

' _Sharing is caring and Jackson kept him all for himself_ '

Taehyung hairs stood on end because of those sentences. Not because of the meaning of his words, but because he totally believed in them.

He felt completely identified with them.

_'I couldn't agree more and that's why we did what we did'_

Taehyung sipped from the glass again and unconsciously nodding.

Kim Taehyung was realistic.

Almost all photographers living and breathing in this world would have felt jealous of Jackson.

Because he could exclusively capture one of the world's most beautiful human beings.

An actual breathing and wingless angel.

That's why, most of the world's photographers would have wanted to either become, supplant or kill him.

They all could've shared the want to make him disappear from the face of the earth.

Just for the chance to capture one photo of the model.

To see the studio's light hit him right and form shadows on his apple cheeks.

Focus their eyes on a single drop sliding down his neck from a long day working out.

Just for a glance at his breathtaking smile.

Just to share the same breathing space as him.

Just to be able to watch and interact with one whose beauty was considered perfect from many surgeons and critics.

But most importantly,  **his prince.**

' _Change of topic, you are starting to look suspicious_ ' advised V, taking over his facial expression to turn it into a perfect poker face.

Tae finished his glass of orange juice and looked at the clock on top of the television, which showed that it was almost 23:00 and they just started eating nonsenses.

He then remembered the paper on his back pocket and took it.

It just said:

_Let's meet at 00:10._

Taehyung looked at Jungkook, who was still talking to Jongin despite his disgusted face.

He finished the refill and put his glass on the table without any sound.

Then, he yawned, rubbing his fingers on his eyes and approached the staff table, smiling at them once their eyes met.

"Hi," He said, scratching his neck. "As tomorrow we have to wake up early to start our activities and agenda, I was wondering if it's okay for me to go to sleep?" Taehyung yawned again, tearily eyed. "You see... I couldn't sleep tonight because of the nerves..." He half-pouted and the whole staff table cooed at him.

The one in charge of the filmation of the variety show, someone called Choi Seung-hyun, which looked cold and tough, looked at Taehyung.

Considering it, though.

Tomorrow, as they've told them, the whole 24h was going to start once the clock turned 09:00 am. They are going to wake up, eat breakfast, the younger is going to leave to school and the older, to their first classes at Bighit.

The model would be alone.

A day to entertain his public by cooking, eating, working out or even, sleeping on the couch.

His only free day in a heavily packed agenda.

Taehyung yawned again, trying to look convincing enough.

And Seung-hyun nodded, giving him his back and starting to talk about 'improve the lighting' and 'achieve better angles' with the cameraman beside him.

Taehyung sighed, bid them goodbye and met Jungkook's gaze on his way to the corridor, noting his little nod and leaving them all behind.

His feet took him to the first floor and behind a door where he already stood before, trying to see any type of light underneath the crack or hear some kind of sound.

Profound silence.

The model must be asleep.

So he turned and headed to his room, which now had his name tag on his door.

His adjacent neighbor was Soobin.

'Don't make me talk or they might hear' Taehyung muttered inside, softly.

' _Just don't get caught_ ' V retorted back.

Taehyung rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him. Then, he took his clothes off and wore his favorite pajama, red and white with little hearts on it.

Once he got dressed to sleep, he laid down on his bed, hands crossed behind his neck and eyes waiting at the door.

Waiting for his friend to come.

Waiting for an interrogation.

_Unofficial, obviously._

       


	35. 뉴스 (News)

  

Jeon Jungkook followed Namjoon through the corridor after he left the married couple drinking and getting to know the other contestants.

The producer didn't have a room on this house, as he was only a teacher and a jury on the contest.

From what he heard from the staff, his paper on the said contest was to help Jin with the songs, help him master and turn them into beautiful masterpieces.

He wasn't really a main character to be filmed but a friendly one, always calm and supportive towards the model.

Namjoon turned around and smiled at him, signaling at Jin's room with his finger and soundlessly moving his lips to say: " _just going to check on him for a while_ ".

Jungkook nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

Once he had the police approval, Namjoon opened the door without knocking, showing their shared deep trust.

Poor Namjoon.

He was in too deep, but unclaimed forever.

_How sad._

Once the taller man disappeared into the model's room, the younger male stood in front of the door with Kim Taehyung's name, just a paper held by adhesive tape.

Cheap but clear.

He too opened the door without knocking, his lips turned into a full smirk when he saw Tae lazily lying on his bed.

"Hi there," The younger said, closing the door behind him.

"Dork" Tae replied, boxy smile.

It was an act of destiny that the two young people whose friendship had started by a fandom, were in the house of the said idol, together, although for different reasons.

So Jungkook did what he always does when meeting Taehyung, jump on him and hug him hard.

"It's been a while" he murmurs softly, breaking the hug and looking into Taehyung's beautiful almond eyes.

"Our last meeting was a month ago, you know after you got ' _this really important case that I can't fail because my promotion depends on it_ '" The photographer quotes, adding quotation marks with his fingers.

Jungkook eagerly nodded.

"This was the ' _really big and incredible case'_ ," He says, eyes shining. "To become Kim Seokjin protector"

Kim Taehyung sighed, dreamily.

"You've been staying with him all this time without saying anything?" Tae asked, thin lips pouting.

"I wanted to" He replied, eyes looking down at his hands. "I even obliged Hoseok to take a photo for you when the model appeared in our interrogation room, but couldn't send it because I got to be in this case and it was confidential information" He tried to explain, looking up to see Taehyung's expression, which was unreadable.

Tae's eyes were scrutinizing his face, searching for some kind of lie and Jungkook tried to keep a relaxed face to please him.

"You kept many secrets too" Jungkook tried to change the topic. "It was surprising to see your face during the introduction live of this channel, almost chocked with my own saliva"

Taehyung's eyes relaxed when he smiled.

"I'm a secretive person" He agreed, looking smug.

"You are" Jungkook pouted. "How did you end up in this place?"

Taehyung crossed his arms behind his neck, definitively looking smug.

"I got an email and passed an interview" He vaguely replied.

"When?" Jungkook tried again.

"Some time ago"

"Can you at least reply?" He protested and hit the photographer's arm. "Clearer and more detailed?"

Tae didn't even flinch, he kept smiling like the Cheshire cat.

"Information for Information" He negotiated.

Jungkook frowned.

"What do you want to know?" He asked again, unsure.

Taehyung sat straight to approach Jungkook, leaning closer into the law enforcer's ear.

"I want to know about what is happening with Kim Seokjin"

Jungkook frowned, again. "Why?"

"To help you to protect him"

Right then, Jungkook considered what to do.

It was risky. 

And it went against the law. 

As talking about the case with outsiders could make him lose his job and even go to trial for being a snitch.

But it was his friend.

And it could be positive to have someone other than him and Hoseok, someone who would be able to follow around other contestants and watch them from the front lines. Someone who would be able to cross impossible lines and get into forbidden places. Someone who is going to meet a lot of people, people that could be hiding something from them or be acting defensively because they were policemen and not ordinary people.

As people always treat them differently.

_Even more when they are criminals._

_As all criminals seem perfectly normal._

So he made his mind and looked at Taehyung, trying to find any signal to shut his mouth, but finding none.

So he opened his mouth and explained everything.

_He spilled the tea to_ _**Tae** _ _._

 

 

***

 

 

Kim Seokjin was almost asleep when he felt a weight beside him.

Opening his eyes, he put his hands close to the figure, feeling into the darkness to know who was the stranger who sprawled by his side.

He felt an incipient beard, high cheekbones and the unmistakable dimples of his smiling best friend.

"Hi" Murmured Namjoon.

"Hi" Smiled the model.

Namjoon moved a little bit and searched for a more comfortable position.

"Why did you leave so soon?" The producer asked, worried.

Seokjin shivered.

"Jungkook and Hoseok found out something terrifying" The model replied, searching for his best friend's hand.

"What did they find?" He asked, knuckles careening the model's crooked fingers.

"That whoever called me, is more dangerous than we thought" He replied.

"What do you mean?" Namjoon frowned, squeezing the model's hand.

"They said that he/her started a fire to erase all of his traces, almost killing a lot of civilians and leaving most of them homeless" The model replied, squeezing Namjoon's hands back. "More astounding, that he took photos of me in my own apartment while I slept, clueless of him being there" He continued and felt when Namjoon became tense.

"He managed to sneak into your apartment?" He asked, seeing red.

The model's nodded.

"How?"

"I don't know..." Jin replied and bit his lip. "They don't know..."

"Do they know who he is?"

"No, they are working on it, as they have found another phone" He murmured, closing his eyes and exhaling to relax. "It can be anyone... even you"

Namjoon almost choked.

"You know it's not me, right?"

Jin laughed a little bit. "Of course I know, Joonie"

Namjoon sighed and squeezed his fists until they went pale.

"They are too slow" Namjoon muttered, looking at his side but seeing nothing but darkness.

"They are" Jin agreed, humming. "But they are doing everything they can, with what they have"

Namjoon hummed back.

"It's not enough" He muttered, leaning the side of his face against the pillow to face the model.

Seokjin did the same.

"It's never enough" He agreed again, feeling his conscience dissipate once sleep started to approach.

"Hyung" Namjoon called to the darkness because the room was too silent without the model's hushed voice. "You need to contact Jisoo, it's not good for your body to self-medicate without your doctor's consent."

"Hmmmmm" Jin nodded.

"Hyung" Namjoon called back again, shaking his arm.

"Hmmm?"

"Promise me something" Namjoon murmured, his fingers going up and down the model's arm.

"What?" He managed to ask, too gone.

"That tomorrow you are going to call Jisoo and talk about your feels and episodes," He said, A tone of voice that left no room for reproach.

The model nodded.

"Say it loud and clear for my dumb ears" Namjoon insisted, inhaling.

"OK-ay" Jin replied, softly. After that, he was gone into oblivion while Namjoon brain kept running miles into multiple possibilities and culprits.

The producer never felt so disappointed with his brain until the time came to know something that he really wanted to know but whose response couldn't reach.

Needless to say, Namjoon did not sleep that night.

 

 

 

***

 

 

_Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr_.

Kim Seokjin woke up because of his stomach growling in hunger.

He snuggled into the blanket, debating if going out of its comfortable heat or trying to sleep again.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

His stomach growled again, louder and clearer.

The model sighed and quietly stood up from the bed, trying to not to wake Namjoon, who finally fell asleep beside him.

As always, the model palped his bedside table and found a phone, that wasn't there before.

A smile appeared on his lips.

Jungkook must've given it to Namjoon and he left it there before laying down into the bed.

He activated the flashlight button to illuminate the room and slowly, he got up from the bed without making any noise. Then, he tiptoed towards the door, opening it without any noise and leaving it half closed.

_The house was in absolute silence._

He could hear soft snoring through some closed doors and the noise of some bed when someone moved too abruptly while dreaming.

His way to the kitchen was quiet and nice, as nobody was walking around, so he turned on the light of the kitchen and approached the fridge.

The night became even nicer when the model found some leftovers inside, chocolate cake and deliciously juicy milk.

He searched for a glass and filled it with milk and sipped a little before putting it in the microwave.

He waited and took it out before it made any sound.

He then took the cake and sat into the couch, eagerly eating it and sipping some milk in between.

He scrolled down his social media, reading some messages about the 'so-called' red room and almost spit all the content from his mouth when he read some comment talking about:

'Red room is going to be on live? I don't really want to watch gore on youtube'

A lot of 'what do you mean?' were replied on the comment box.

So the user replied: 'search for ' _red room_ ' on Google before asking me and after doing that, let's debate'

And apparently, so they did, seeing the debate that followed the said tweet into the comment box.

And so did the model and he almost chocked at what he found online.

' _Dark Red Room, the site that offers to a witness a live murder in the deep web'_

_'A_ _**red room** _ _is an urban legend. It is allegedly a hidden website or service where you can see and/or participate in interactive murder or torture.'_

He almost gagged when some hideous imaged appeared on Google images, closing his phone, causing a loud bang when it fell.

"What the hell?" He murmured, shivering.

Who the hell thought that 'red room' was an appropriate name when it meant a place where people are murdered online?

Jin almost threw up his cake.

"Someone has a horrible sense of humor" He muttered, hunger fading into nothingness.

"Who?" Asked a deep voice from behind him.

And Seokjin jumped in such a way that he almost fell off the couch.

He looked up. And here, just behind the couch, Taehyung stood in all his gorgeous glory.

Jin didn't know if to thank or curse the heavens for this view.

Seeing his reaction, he heard Taehyung laugh, as he leaned his arms behind the model and inhaled Jin's aroma, delicious vanilla.

Trying to look though and evasive...

"Has nobody taught you to knock on the door?" Asked the model, his heart still beating because of the scare.

The photographer snorted.

"I did call you, but you were too busy watching porn to notice it"

Seokjin almost screamed.

Almost.

He contained himself on time.

"I wasn't watching porn"

Taehyung laughed again.

"You definitely were" Remarked back.

"I didn't"

"You were definitely moaning"

Seokjin gagged.

"I definitely wasn't, cursing and moaning are definitely different from each other"

Taehyung raised on defined eyebrow.

"And why were you cursing?"

The model rolled his eyes.

"I won't tell you"

Taehyung jumped thanks to his long legs over the back of the sofa to sit next to him.

"Come on!" He insisted. "Please, Pweaseeeee?" He cutely said, deep voice totally overruled by a childish voice.

"Shut up" The model muttered. "And stop acting cute, you give me chills"

Taehyung smirk widened.

"Oh," He exclaimed. "Tell. Me. Exactly. How. I. Affect. You." Taehyung's voice adopting a seductive tone, deep voice becoming deeper, just a whisper. "Good or bad chills?"

Kim Seokjin blushed and tried to hid his face with the end of his sleeve.

"Never hide your beautiful face from me, Jinnie hyung" He smiled and Seokjin eyes widened.

Taehyung used his other name.

The one he used to use while modeling as a child.

"How do you know that name?" He slurred, lips hushed behind his sleeve. Eyes wide and focused on the photographer.

Taehyung beamed like a thousand stars and suns.

"I knew many things and most of them are about you" He whispered back, honey melting eyed.

Jin blush extended into his ears and neck, rosy like roses.

"You knew me... Before?" The model asked, tilting his head.

Taehyung smile widened.

"I knew you since forever" He replied, vague and cryptic.

Seokjin gazed at the overly gorgeous male in front of him. Warm eyes and relaxed factions, different from the overly seductive male from before.

He already met many facets of the photographer and wondered about how many were left for him to solve, to unravel the puzzle that was Kim Taehyung.

Yet, the creepy name from those websites was forgotten thanks to his warm and dominant presence.

Or maybe, his creepiness overruled it.

Who knows?

At least... like an onion... Jin wanted to get to know him by extracting his multiple layers.

Until he was bare in front of him.

' _How will your last layer be?'_

Sitting there, staring at Kim Taehyung's beautiful face, he kept wondering about him.

Until the clock was lost at dawn and his eyes closed.

Kim Taehyung, like a good guardian, kept his guard up.

Kim Taehyung, like a good going-to-be lover, took many photos of him sleeping, pouty-lipped and relaxed beauty.

Those were definitely his favorites.

Kim Taehyung loved this kind of trusting, bare and defenseless Kim Seokjin.

It overstimulated his defensive side.

Also, he is going to find whoever took those pictures of him without his consent.

And when he did...

**They** _are going to destroy him._

 


	36. 밤 시간 회담 (Night Time Talks)

 

Kim Seokjin was feeling really, really comfortable. It was the first time in a while that he felt this warm and comfy while sleeping. His head felt as if it was flying and his body just wanted to snuggle against whatever it was that was giving him this feeling of safety and warmth.

He was still in that thin line between being unconscious and awake, where dreams seem real but you can start to notice it isn't and change bits with your own imagination. He dreamt that he was in a café with many people and nobody took his order. It annoyed him so much. When they did notice him standing there, they gave him Nesquik. Dream Jin frowned.

So he decided to change it.

Because he liked and wanted delicious Cacaolat milk chocolate instead of Nesquik.

So the yellow bottled drink changed into his favorite one and it made Jin realize that he was dreaming.

After that, the dream and the beautiful cafeteria started to dissipate from the edges of his mind, he kept noticing things from the real world.

Like the fingers that were carding between his hair, untangling the knots while massaging his scalp. It felt nice. Almost  _i-would-purr-if-i-could_  nice.

Also, he kept noticing some other movements on his body. Like the little pressure on his hip. Fingers that were drawing circles, unmoving from that area. Unstoppable and relaxing.

This, made Kim Seokjin forget about the nice chocolate milk on his hand and open his eyes, clearly confused by where he was and with whom he was.

First, he saw darkness.

Utter and complete darkness.

So he stood up from the comfortable pillow he was leaning his cheek on and hit something pointed that hurt.

"Ouch!" A deep voice groaned from above.

A voice that he started to recognize well enough, even in utter darkness.

Also, the voice which belonged to the man whose thigh on which he was sleeping and whose hand was still on his hips, unmoving.

"W-what were you doing?" Asked Seokjin, sleep heavy on his voice. "Why is everything engulfed in darkness?"

The hand, Jin noticed, was still there.

The model rolled his eyes, patiently waiting for it to leave his hip.

A heavyweight and warmth on his hip that he decided to pick up, to set it aside. But not before noticing how warm it felt against his cold hands.

And how long were his fingers?

Even more, he felt the way his veins protruded from his skin and felt really nice between Jin's palms.

Although the darkness, Kim Seokjin noticed that Kim Taehyung had manly hands. Pianist fingers, long and thin. He... had hands that were perfect to hold and feel.

Not like his own, all crooked fingers and ugly hands.

He always wanted what he didn't have...

So Jin always liked beautiful and big hands.

But obviously... not Taehyung's.

His eyes started to get used to the darkness so he could see the outline of Kim Taehyung figure sitting beside him, long and broad. Even the little glint on his eyes, that were gazing at him, unblinking.

"I turned off the lights so the cameras couldn't record you passed out on me in the couch," Jin noticed that Kim Taehyung voice was deeper in the dark place than during daylight. "I told a member of the staff to close the curtains... said that it was because you weren't feeling good and hated the light from outside the window. That... you needed it to sleep well and sound"

So...  _Has anyone seen him curled up against someone?_

During the first day of the program?

And how the hell could Kim Taehyung archive change ' ** _feeling good_** ' in that context to sound sexy and erotic instead of a normal ' _I'm. Not. Feeling. Good_  Health-related speaking'?

"But don't worry too much about it, he looked fine and really happy when he saw you being all cuddled against my lap, sweetly snoring and rubbing your cheeks against my thighs" He nonchalantly said, the model could feel the smirk on his voice. "He even wished me luck... What was his name? It started with an S..."

The model was glad that it was too dark to see the blush be falling on his whole body.

Why everything that left Taehyung's mouth sounded too indecent and flirty instead of innocent? He kept turning perfectly normal sentences into perverted ones.

"Why were you harassing me?" He asked, trying to control his voice into not sounding sleepy and breathy anymore.

"You called me guarding over you harassment?" Tae chuckled. "I debated what to do with you when you fell on me." He replied, gleefully. "Lucky for you, I won"

Seokjin furrowed.

"You won?"

The silence was his only reply.

"You wouldn't really believe it if I said that I have a really dark side that wanted to kiss you senseless and turn you into a puddle of s-" The smirk was clear on his voice.

Kim Seokjin almost fell from the couch. Too embarrassed from the words that kept leaving the younger's mouth.

"Stop joking around," He said, suddenly wanting to flee to his room and into Namjoon's comfortable back. "You pervert!"

Taehyung softly laughed.

"At least, I'm retained and don't act according to my wishes, like  _him_ " the model could not hear the last part of it.

As his words were too mortifying.

So the model decided to ignore him.

He and his dirty mouth.

He decided to flee from the couch and from his presence by stumbling into the darkness and walking to the kitchen, touching until he found the cold surface of the refrigerator. He opened and almost jumped back when he saw Taehyung standing next to him, handsome yet tired face smiling at him.

"Stop following me around" He ordered, picking up a bottle of mineral water and closing the door to shut the light and try to forget the photographer's face, burned with fire in his retinas.

"I follow you to catch you... in case you stumble. This program would not continue if you fall and have to be hospitalized, you know..."

Jin opened it and drank a long sip of water from the bottle.

"Don't worry too much, I won't trip"

"You might"

The model huffed and decided to bring the bottle with him to his room.

"Leave me alone" Retorted the model, starting to walk through the darkness, again.

"The objective of this reality is not to leave you alone, to learn to take good photos of you and help with everything you ask from us." Taehyung snorted, obviously following around the corridor. "Jinnie"

And Kim Seokjin blushed again.

"Why... Do you keep calling me  _ **that**_?" He asked, trying to get a clearer answer from him. "Just call me hyung"

Taehyung sighed.

"It was your name, back then," He said, warmth on his voice. "It's still your name, now"

Jin shivered.

"It stopped being my name when..." His voice sounded broken and Jin hated it about him. "My name is Jin, now"

"For me, it will always be Jinnie,  _ **hyung**_ "

"So you were a fan, back then?"

"You are my everything" He dramatically quoted, sounding sincere.

Jin shrugged his shoulders.

"Stop talking so casually about me being your everything or how you want to guard over me, even the perverted ones" Jin frowned, going up the stairs.

"I didn't say anything perverted" Taehyung smirked.

"You definitely did"

"I didn't, you are imagining things" His smirk widened. "You know hyung, being sexually frustrated can make you delusional"

Jin huffed.

"You call me delusional?"

The silence was only broken by his footsteps against the cool wood.

"Hyung, take care of your frustrations, please" Ignored Taehyung, placing his hand on the bottom of his back.

Jin almost screamed by his disrespect, but his heart was actually running miles per hour.

"I'm. Not. FRUSTRATED" He bit, almost screaming and carefully vocalizing each word. "You really obfuscate me"

Taehyung smiled.

"I'm glad to have an effect on you hyung" He replied, sounding proud.

Jin hurried. Trying to lose him on his way to his room, but the photographer's long legs followed him.

"I'm actually pretty unaffected" He retorted.

Taehyung smile widened.

"Of course, hyung, whatever you say to make you feel better"

Seriously, his disrespect. But instead of waiting to set him aside, it made him want to keep finding new responses and ways to counter him.

It awoke that competitiveness often is forgotten when you reach the top of the world.

Two doors until his own, half closed and with Namjoon soft snores coming out from it. One and a half doors until a little bit of freedom until tomorrow, when most of the contestants have to leave to their own chores and classes until the afternoon.

He grasps the sleeve of Seokjin's sweater to stop him.

"Don't run away from me?" Tae said, voice soft. "As I'm here to help you survive"

Seokjin shivered and his heart started to beat frantically.

"Survive? What?" He asked, remembering all about Jackson, the call and the fires.

"Isn't it a survival contest?" He replied, fingers caressing the skin behind his sweater.

"Then you mean that you want to use me to survive" The model stated, and his heart slowed down, feeling a little bit disappointed?

Taehyung shook his hair.

"No" He denied. "I want to help you survive every single day from everyone who wants to hurt you"

Seokjin heart wavered.

Did everyone know about the misfortunes that keep chasing him?

"How do you-?" He started to ask.

But they seemed to miss the way Namjoon's snores stopped and the silence that followed. They missed the way Namjoon's steps (strong, carrying his outstanding height around) approached the door and suddenly, opened it.

He was rubbing his eyes with his hands, trying to dissipate the sleep away. His eyes met them and frowned.

"What are you doing?" He asked, voice heavy and deeper because of the sleep.

Seokjin exhaled, glancing sideways at Tae and smiling at his best friend, whose gigantic body looked like that of a little boy who just woke up.

"Nothing" He replied, almost too fast. Namjoon seemed to catch that and raised an eyebrow. "I got hungry and went down to the kitchen to eat something. You know how I act when in hunger..."

Namjoon frown was still there, but smaller.

"And you?" He looked at Tae, eyes piercing despite feeling sleepy.

Taehyung smiled, half boxy smile and cute expression lines marked beside his nose.

"I felt thirsty" He replied, looking beyond his shoulder to stare at his own room, the door closed across the corridor. "And decided to accompany Seokjin-hyung to his room, in case he stumbled" He explained, nonchalantly.

Namjoon stared between them, feeling a bad feeling about it, yet, his doubts seemed to disappear when Taehyung acted all cute and innocent.

"Then, go to sleep" He murmured, his eyes looked at Jin's sleeve, still inside of Taehyung's grasp. "You have classes with Kim Myungsoo-sumbaenim in the morning"

Tae let go of it, a different kind of glint on his eyes. Teachers from this contest who pretended to teach him something he already knew. Then, with a more forced smile, he turned around and went to his room, by saying: "good night hyungs"

Namjoon frowned and looked at Jin, who was following Taehyung's trail with his gaze.

He said he was thirsty but never acted on it.

He appeared just when the model went down, minutes after he decided to start eating as if he knew where he was in the darkness.

He wondered about what could what happen if he told Namjoon about it. About how he seemed to suddenly appear everywhere he went. About his feels and doubts about the young photographer.

_About how he made his heart race and provoked chills at the same time._

Obviously, it would have changed the outcome of the contest and the whole life.

Yet, he decided to remain silent.

As he wanted to discover Kim Taehyung's by himself. 

      


End file.
